Abstract
A kindred with three members with papillary thyroid carcinoma is described. The patients were a female and her two daughters. They were otherwise healthy, and there was no history of irradiation. The index patient was a 53-year-old female with bilateral thyroid tumors, whose mother had undergone a subtotal thyroidectomy and sleeve resection of the trachea for a thyroid carcinoma invading the trachea at the age of 67 years. Because of the family history a screening study for thyroid disease was performed on 13 members of the family and revealed a small papillary carcinoma in a 46-year-old sister of the index patient. A total thyroidectomy and bilateral modified neck dissection were performed in both sisters because of the familial occurrence of the disease. Histopathological studies verified bilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma in both cases. Total thyroidectomy seems to be the choice of operation for papillary thyroid carcinoma with a familial occurrence. We also emphasize the importance of a family screening study which may permit early detection of the disease.
