title: Diagnosis and surgical treatment of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aims to introduce the diagnosis and surgical treatment of the rare disease multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen cases of MEN 2A were diagnosed as medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and pheochromocytoma by biochemical tests and imaging examination. They were treated by bilateral adrenal tumor excision or laparoscopic surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine patients were treated by bilateral adrenal tumor excision and the remaining four were treated by laparoscopic surgery for pheochromocytoma. Ten patients were treated by total thyroidectomy and bilateral lymph nodes dissection and the remaining three were treated by unilateral thyroidectomy for MTC. Up to now, three patients have died of MTC distant metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We confirmed that MEN 2A can be diagnosed by biochemical tests and imaging examination when genetic testing is not available. Surgical excision is the predominant way to treat MEN 2A; pheochromocytoma should be excised at first when pheochromocytoma and MTC occur simultaneously.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, P,R, China. chhyangch@126.com.
authors.forename: Kun-Long
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018813:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery