Sonographic Findings of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Leading to Diagnosis of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a during Pregnancy

Abstract

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2a (Sipple's syndrome) is characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma and pheochromocytoma, and in a smaller percentage of cases, multiglandular parathyroid hyperplasia. This autosomal-dominant syndrome is due to a mutation in the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene located on chromosome 10cen–10q11.2 and rarely complicates pregnancy. We present an unusual case in a patient with an enlarged thyroid with sonographic findings characteristic of thyroid cancer, which led to diagnosis and subsequent management of RET proto-oncogene-positive MEN type 2a complicating pregnancy.

Keywords

• Pregnancy
• ultrasound
• thyroid carcinoma
• pheochromocytoma
• multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2a