MEDULLARY THYROID CARCINOMAS WITH BILATERAL PHÆOCHROMOCYTOMAS

SUMMARY The findings in two cases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid are reported, the patients being a mother and her daughter. The mother was also found to have previously unsuspected bilateral phæochromocytomas at autopsy. The association of these two tumours represents a rare but well recognized clinical entity. A family study was then undertaken to detect evidence of these conditions in 17 blood relatives. Neither thyroid carcinoma nor phæochromocytoma were detected. However, because of the previously reported familial nature of this syndrome, family and long term follow‐up studies of patients with either medullary thyroid carcinoma or phæochromocytoma, or both of these conditions, are recommended.