[Cell culture in thyroid cancers]. / Cultures cellulaires en carcinologie thyroïdienne.

ABSTRACT

The authors studied the diagnostic interest of cell cultures in thyroid tumors. They cultivated 10 tumours (4 papillary carcinomas, 5 medullary carcinomas and 1 sarcoma-looking tumour). In 7 cases, cultures yielded nothing more than pathologic examination. Nonetheless the study allowed to detect a double secretion (calcitonin and thyroglobulin) in 2 medullary carcinomas which turned out to be mixed proliferations. It also detected a production of thyroglobulin by the sarcoma. They think that cell cultures may have a diagnostic interest besides pathologic examination, allowing precise study of secretory features of the tumors.