[Calcitonin: indications and interpretation].
Calcitonin is the sensitive and specific marker of the medullary thyroid cancers. It is a diagnostic, pronostic and follow-up marker. Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare disease representing 4% of the thyroid cancers and occurring in 0.4% of nodular thyroid pathology. The use of sex specific adults normal ranges allows a better interpretation of the moderately elevated calcitonin levels. Hypercalcitoninaemia non due to medullary thyroid cancer are attributed mainly to male sex, tobacco use, overweight, renal failure and other endocrine tumors. CT is associated to carcinoembryonic antigen and possible procalcitonin assays. Calcitonin can be assayed in the wash-out fluid of the fine needle aspiration too. Stimulation tests give poor additional diagnostic information and are about to be abandoned.
Université de Lille-II, 59000 Lille, France. m-dherbomez@chru-lille.fr
Michèle
M
d'Herbomez
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000032:analysis*; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003940:Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D012015:Reference Standards; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
D002116:Calcitonin