Thyroid: medullary carcinoma: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Thyroid: medullary carcinoma

Sample item

A patient has a firm thyroid nodule, diarrhoea and a raised serum calcitonin. Biopsy shows polygonal cells in an amyloid stroma. Which cells give rise to this tumour?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Parafollicular C cells

Medullary carcinoma arises from parafollicular C cells, secretes calcitonin and CEA, and stains for amyloid. A quarter of cases are hereditary with RET mutation (MEN2). It does not take up radioiodine, so total thyroidectomy with central node dissection is the main treatment.

Option by option

  • A. Parafollicular C cells (correct)

    Correct. C cells produce calcitonin and give rise to this tumour.

  • B. Follicular cells

    Follicular cells give papillary and follicular carcinoma.

  • C. Oxyphil cells

    Oxyphil cells relate to Hurthle cell and parathyroid lesions.

  • D. Lymphocytes

    Lymphocytes give thyroid lymphoma.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Parafollicular C cells. Medullary carcinoma arises from parafollicular C cells, secretes calcitonin and CEA, and stains for amyloid.

Why is "Follicular cells" not the answer?

Follicular cells give papillary and follicular carcinoma.

Why is "Oxyphil cells" not the answer?

Oxyphil cells relate to Hurthle cell and parathyroid lesions.

Why is "Lymphocytes" not the answer?

Lymphocytes give thyroid lymphoma.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thyroid: medullary carcinoma in General Surgery. A quarter of cases are hereditary with RET mutation (MEN2). It does not take up radioiodine, so total thyroidectomy with central node dissection is the main treatment.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Thyroid: medullary carcinoma?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.