Mar 12, 2009 - amino acids that is secreted by thyroid C-cells.1 Serum calcitonin has ... largely used in stimulatory tests that evaluate the capacity of C-cells5 to ...
CLINICS 2009;64(7):699-706
REVIEW HYPERCALCITONINEMIA IS NOT PATHOGNOMONIC OF MEDULLARY THYROID CARCINOMA
Sergio PA Toledo,I Delmar M Lourenço Jr,I Marcelo Augusto Santos,I Marcos R Tavares,II Rodrigo A Toledo,I Joya Emilie de Menezes Correia-DeurI doi: 10.1590/S1807-59322009000700015
Toledo SPA, Lourenço Jr DM, Santos MA, Tavares MR, Toledo RA, Correia-Deur JEM. Hypercalcitoninemia is not pathognomonic of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Clinics. 2009;64(7):699-706. Hypercalcitoninemia has frequently been reported as a marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma. Currently, calcitonin measurements are mostly useful in the evaluation of tumor size and progression, and as an index of biochemical improvement of medullary thyroid carcinomas. Although measurement of calcitonin is a highly sensitive method for the detection of medullary thyroid carcinoma, it presents a low specificity for this tumor. Several physiologic and pathologic conditions other than medullary thyroid carcinoma have been associated with increased levels of calcitonin. Several cases of thyroid nodules associated with increased values of calcitonin are not medullary thyroid carcinomas, but rather are related to other conditions, such as hypercalcemias, hypergastrinemias, neuroendocrine tumors, renal insufficiency, papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas, and goiter. Furthermore, prolonged treatment with omeprazole (> 2-4 months), beta-blockers, glucocorticoids and potential secretagogues, have been associated with hypercalcitoninemia. An association between calcitonin levels and chronic auto-immune thyroiditis remains controversial. Patients with calcitonin levels >100 pg/mL have a high risk for medullary thyroid carcinoma (~90%-100%), whereas patients with values from 10 to 100 pg/mL (normal values:
