title: [C-cells (parafollicular) and medullary cancer of the thyroid gland].
abstract: In the human thyroid gland, less than 1% of the cell mass of the organ parenchyma is comprised of C-cells, the typical feature of which is the capacity of produce and accumulate a hypocalcemic hormone, calcitonin. Because of their function, these cells play an important role in the maintenance of homeostasis. Neoplastic proliferation of C-cells results in medullary carcinoma represented by the classical forms and non-medullary apudomas. Morphological, histochemical, and electron microscopic studies demonstrated cytological and histological inhomogeneity of thyroid apudomas and allowed the differential diagnosis criteria for their identification to be outlined.
mesh_terms: D001078:APUD Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001079:Apudoma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002116:Calcitonin
vernacular_title: C-kletki (parafollikuliarnye) i medulliarnyĭ rak shchitovidnoĭ zhelezy.