• Linas Juodele, Elona Juozaityte, Algimantas Zindzius, and Juozas Pundzius.
• Clinic of Surgery, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania. juodele@hotmail.com
• Medicina (Kaunas). 2005 Jan 1; 41 (4): 281-94.

AbstractThe second type of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes can be described as rare syndromes, heritable in autosomal dominant manner and linking medullary thyroid carcinoma to different tumors of endocrine organ system and endocrinopathies. This syndrome is divided into multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2A (MEN 2A), characterized with combination of medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma and primary hyperparathyroidism; type 2B (MEN 2B), characterized with combination of medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, marfanoid habitus and ganglioneuromatosis, and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma syndrome, characterized with the only indication, which is hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma. Though type 2 multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome has been known since 1961, yet, the cause of the syndrome, which is germline mutations of c-ret protooncogene, was detected just a decade ago and syndrome pathogenesis with its characterized endocrine neoplasia carcinogenesis machinery were detected. Implementation of progressive genetic researches in clinical practice enabled precise diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome and its subtypes not only for ill patients but also for healthy syndrome inheritors, e.g. relatives of the sick. Stated genotype link to phenotype helps to prognosticate possible combinations of endocrine neoplasia and endocrinopathies, and to choose purposeful patient observation. Genetic screening of the inheritors of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 syndrome enabled purposeful researches and observations of patients with a huge risk of uprising endocrine neoplasia, it also enabled application of effective prophylaxis methods, avoidance or early diagnostic of malignant tumors and life prognosis improvement for patients with malignant tumors while practicing well-timed treatment adaptation. This literature review contains the newest data on multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 and its pathogenesis, diagnostics, patient observation, endocrine cancer prophylaxis and methods of treatment, which are characteristic for syndrome and which are being chosen according to biochemical endocrine neoplasia symptoms and genetic diagnosis.

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