Mixed mucus-secreting and oncocytic carcinoma of the thyroid: pathologic, histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study of a case

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2000 Oct;124(10):1547-52. doi: 10.5858/2000-124-1547-MMSAOC.

Abstract

We report a carcinoma that is, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of a mixed mucus-secreting and oncocytic carcinoma of the thyroid. We also describe the histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features of this tumor. A 59-year-old man complaining of severe bone pain and weight loss underwent clinical and radiologic investigations. The studies revealed a nodule in the left thyroid lobe that was "cold" by (131)I scintiscan and multiple lytic lesions of the skeleton that showed increased uptake by (99m)Tc-Sestamibi scintiscan. Left hemithyroidectomy was performed and the surgical specimen contained a well-circumscribed nodule of 3 cm in the greatest diameter. Light microscopy showed an oncocytic carcinoma with an area of glandular and papillary proliferation of mucin-producing cells. A double histochemical approach (Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff and Alcian blue-high-iron diamine) combined with ultrastructural investigation confirmed the presence of true mucus, ruling out the presence of breakdown products of thyroglobulin. Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies, together with clinical findings, excluded a possible metastatic origin of the mucin-producing component.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / chemistry
  • Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / diagnostic imaging
  • Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / pathology*
  • Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / surgery
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Male
  • Microvilli / ultrastructure
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitochondria / ultrastructure
  • Mucus / chemistry
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Secretory Vesicles / ultrastructure
  • Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / surgery

Substances

  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi