Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid: additional evidence in support of a familial component.

Although a higher incidence of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid is well known to occur in families with syndromes of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN II and III), an epidemiologic familial component has only very rarely been ascribed to papillary carcinoma. In this report we describe a mother and daughter presenting with neck masses at an early age and subsequently found to have metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma documented on pathology following thyroidectomy. The occurrence of the neoplasm at an advanced stage in closely related individuals early in life suggests that underlying genetic factors may predispose to this malignancy. Familial papillary carcinoma of the thyroid may have a hereditary basis independent of its association with the syndromes of multiple polyposis and of multiple hamartomas, and thus may represent a new entity with characteristics which distinguish it as a distinct subset of the more common disease.