Abstract
Two cases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid showing an angiosarcomatous pattern of growth are reported. Extensive hemorrhagic areas, strongly suggestive of a vascular tumor, characterized the gross appearance of case 1. Microscopically, pseudovascular spaces lined by elongated cells or containing nests of clear polygonal cells intermingled with red blood cells were a prominent feature in both cases. Calcitonin immunostaining was present in all neoplastic cells, both those in clear cell nests and the flat ones lining the pseudovascular spaces. A similar pattern was observed in cell block material obtained by fine-needle aspiration biopsy of case 2. Angiosarcoma-like medullary carcinoma of the thyroid patterns add to the long series of masquerades featuring medullary carcinoma of the thyroid and have to be considered in the differential diagnosis with hemangioendothelioma of the thyroid. Int J Surg Pathol 3(1):29-34, 1995
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.