(See also Overview of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasias Overview of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasias (MEN) The multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes comprise 4 genetically distinct familial diseases involving adenomatous hyperplasia and malignant tumors in several endocrine glands. MEN 1 involves... read more .)
Mutations in the RET proto-oncogene on chromosome 10 have been identified in MEN 2A, MEN 2B Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia, Type 2B (MEN 2B) Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2B (MEN 2B) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, multiple mucosal neuromas and intestinal ganglioneuromas... read more 
, and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma There are 4 general types of thyroid cancer. Most thyroid cancers manifest as asymptomatic nodules. Rarely, lymph node, lung, or bone metastases cause the presenting symptoms of small thyroid... read more . The RET protein is a receptor tyrosine kinase; MEN 2A and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma mutations result in activation of certain intracellular pathways.
Symptoms and Signs of MEN 2A
Clinical features depend on the type of tumor present (see table ).
Thyroid
Almost all patients have medullary thyroid carcinoma Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma There are 4 general types of thyroid cancer. Most thyroid cancers manifest as asymptomatic nodules. Rarely, lymph node, lung, or bone metastases cause the presenting symptoms of small thyroid... read more . The tumor usually develops during childhood and begins with thyroid parafollicular C-cell hyperplasia. Tumors are frequently multicentric.
Adrenal
Pheochromocytoma Pheochromocytoma A pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor of chromaffin cells typically located in the adrenals. It causes persistent or paroxysmal hypertension. Diagnosis is by measuring catecholamine... read more usually originates in the adrenal glands. Pheochromocytoma occurs in 40 to 50% of people within a MEN 2A kindred. In contrast to sporadic pheochromocytoma, the familial variety within MEN 2A begins with adrenal medullary hyperplasia and is multicentric and bilateral in > 50% of cases. Extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas are rare. Pheochromocytomas are almost always benign, but some tend to recur locally and account for significant morbidity and mortality.
Pheochromocytomas that occur with MEN 2A (and MEN 2B Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia, Type 2B (MEN 2B) Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2B (MEN 2B) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, multiple mucosal neuromas and intestinal ganglioneuromas... read more ) usually produce epinephrine disproportionately to norepinephrine, in contrast to sporadic cases.
Hypertensive crisis Hypertensive Emergencies A hypertensive emergency is severe hypertension (often defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 180 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 120 mm Hg) with signs of damage to target organs... read more secondary to pheochromocytoma is a common manifestation. Hypertension in MEN 2A patients with pheochromocytoma is more often paroxysmal than sustained, in contrast to the usual sporadic case. Patients with pheochromocytomas may have paroxysmal palpitations, anxiety, headaches, or sweating; many are asymptomatic.
Parathyroid
Ten to 20% of patients have evidence of hyperparathyroidism Primary hyperparathyroidism Hypercalcemia is a total serum calcium concentration > 10.4 mg/dL (> 2.60 mmol/L) or ionized serum calcium > 5.2 mg/dL (> 1.30 mmol/L). Principal causes include hyperparathyroidism... read more (which may be long-standing), with hypercalcemia Hypercalcemia Hypercalcemia is a total serum calcium concentration > 10.4 mg/dL (> 2.60 mmol/L) or ionized serum calcium > 5.2 mg/dL (> 1.30 mmol/L). Principal causes include hyperparathyroidism... read more , nephrolithiasis Urinary Calculi Urinary calculi are solid particles in the urinary system. They may cause pain, nausea, vomiting, hematuria, and, possibly, chills and fever due to secondary infection. Diagnosis is based on... read more , nephrocalcinosis, or renal failure. Hyperparathyroidism frequently involves multiple glands as either diffuse hyperplasia or multiple adenomas, and mild abnormalities in parathyroid function may also be present in MEN 2A.
Other manifestations
Cutaneous lichen amyloidosis, a pruritic, scaly, papular skin lesion, located in the interscapular region or on extensor surfaces, occurs in some MEN 2A-affected families. Hirschsprung disease Hirschsprung Disease Hirschsprung disease is a congenital anomaly consisting of a failure of neuronal colonization (and thus a failure of innervation) of the lower intestine, usually limited to the colon, resulting... read more 
is present in 2 to 5% of MEN 2A patients.
Diagnosis of MEN 2A
Serum calcitonin for medullary thyroid carcinoma
Serum calcium, 24-hour urine calcium, and parathyroid hormone for hyperparathyroidism
Plasma free metanephrines or urinary catecholamine and metanephrine levels for pheochromocytoma
Neck ultrasonography, with additional imaging as needed
Localization of pheochromocytoma with MRI or CT
Genetic testing
Serum calcitonin is a good marker for the presence of medullary thyroid carcinoma and can also be used as a biomarker to follow disease response and/or progression.
Hyperparathyroidism Diagnosis Hyperparathyroidism occurs when one or more of the parathyroid glands become overactive, causing elevated serum levels of parathyroid hormone and leading to hypercalcemia. Patients may be asymptomatic... read more is diagnosed by finding hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and increased parathyroid hormone level.
Because pheochromocytoma may be asymptomatic, its exclusion may be difficult. The most sensitive tests are measurement of plasma free metanephrines or fractionated urinary catecholamines and metanephrines Diagnosis A pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor of chromaffin cells typically located in the adrenals. It causes persistent or paroxysmal hypertension. Diagnosis is by measuring catecholamine... read more (particularly epinephrine).
Neck imaging for localization of masses within the thyroid and parathyroid glands should begin with ultrasonography followed by CT, MRI, or radioisotope scanning as needed. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful in localizing the pheochromocytoma or establishing the presence of bilateral lesions.
Many cases are identified during screening of family members of known cases. MEN 2A should also be suspected in patients with bilateral pheochromocytoma Pheochromocytoma A pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor of chromaffin cells typically located in the adrenals. It causes persistent or paroxysmal hypertension. Diagnosis is by measuring catecholamine... read more or at least 2 of its characteristic endocrine manifestations. The diagnosis can be confirmed with genetic testing. Although only 25% of medullary thyroid carcinoma Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma There are 4 general types of thyroid cancer. Most thyroid cancers manifest as asymptomatic nodules. Rarely, lymph node, lung, or bone metastases cause the presenting symptoms of small thyroid... read more cases are familial, genetic testing should be done in all patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma. RET mutations are found in virtually all patients with familial medullary thyroid cancer but are as high as approximately 7% in apparently sporadic cases (1 Diagnosis references Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2A (MEN 2A) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pheochromocytoma, parathyroid hyperplasia or adenomas (causing... read more 
).
Genetic screening
Genetic screening of family members of MEN 2A patients is the diagnostic test of choice; the availability of such testing has made biochemical screening for early medullary thyroid carcinoma largely obsolete. The specific RET mutation also predicts phenotypic characteristics such as aggressiveness of medullary thyroid carcinoma and presence of other endocrinopathies, so is important in clinical management; however, other factors, such as older age at onset and higher tumor stage at diagnosis, may be more predictive of disease aggressiveness (2 Diagnosis references Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2A (MEN 2A) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pheochromocytoma, parathyroid hyperplasia or adenomas (causing... read more ).
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) All procedures used to diagnose genetic disorders, except ultrasonography, are invasive and involve slight fetal risk. If testing detects a serious abnormality, the pregnancy can be terminated... read more and prenatal chorionic villus sampling Chorionic Villus Sampling All procedures used to diagnose genetic disorders, except ultrasonography, are invasive and involve slight fetal risk. If testing detects a serious abnormality, the pregnancy can be terminated... read more or amniocentesis Amniocentesis All procedures used to diagnose genetic disorders, except ultrasonography, are invasive and involve slight fetal risk. If testing detects a serious abnormality, the pregnancy can be terminated... read more have been used for antenatal diagnosis.
In patients with affected family members, annual screening for hyperparathyroidism Diagnosis Hyperparathyroidism occurs when one or more of the parathyroid glands become overactive, causing elevated serum levels of parathyroid hormone and leading to hypercalcemia. Patients may be asymptomatic... read more and pheochromocytoma Diagnosis A pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor of chromaffin cells typically located in the adrenals. It causes persistent or paroxysmal hypertension. Diagnosis is by measuring catecholamine... read more should begin in adolescence (at 11 years of age for families with high-risk variants and at 16 years of age for those with moderate-risk variants) and continue indefinitely. Screening for hyperparathyroidism Diagnosis Hyperparathyroidism occurs when one or more of the parathyroid glands become overactive, causing elevated serum levels of parathyroid hormone and leading to hypercalcemia. Patients may be asymptomatic... read more entails measurement of serum calcium levels. Screening for pheochromocytoma includes questions about symptoms, measurement of pulse rate and blood pressure, and laboratory testing.
Diagnosis references
1. Wells SA Jr, Asa SL, Dralle H, et al: American Thyroid Association Guidelines Task Force on Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. Revised American Thyroid Association guidelines for the management of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid 25(6):567–610, 2015.
2. Voss RK, Feng L, Lee JE, et al: Medullary thyroid carcinoma in MEN2A: ATA moderate- or high-risk RET mutations do not predict disease aggressiveness. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 102(8):2807–2813, 2017.
Treatment of MEN 2A
Surgical excision of identified tumors
Prophylactic thyroidectomy
In patients presenting with pheochromocytoma Diagnosis A pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor of chromaffin cells typically located in the adrenals. It causes persistent or paroxysmal hypertension. Diagnosis is by measuring catecholamine... read more and either medullary thyroid carcinoma Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma There are 4 general types of thyroid cancer. Most thyroid cancers manifest as asymptomatic nodules. Rarely, lymph node, lung, or bone metastases cause the presenting symptoms of small thyroid... read more or hyperparathyroidism Diagnosis Hyperparathyroidism occurs when one or more of the parathyroid glands become overactive, causing elevated serum levels of parathyroid hormone and leading to hypercalcemia. Patients may be asymptomatic... read more , the pheochromocytoma should be removed first, even if asymptomatic because it greatly increases risk during other surgeries (1 Treatment references Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2A (MEN 2A) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pheochromocytoma, parathyroid hyperplasia or adenomas (causing... read more ). Patients undergoing resection of a pheochromocytoma should receive adequate alpha blockade (typically using phenoxybenzamine, doxazosin, or prazosin) prior to surgery. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy, which has lower morbidity, is preferred to open laparotomy. Because bilateral pheochromocytomas are common, adrenal-sparing surgery may be appropriate in some patients (2 Treatment references Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2A (MEN 2A) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pheochromocytoma, parathyroid hyperplasia or adenomas (causing... read more ).
Surgery for medullary thyroid carcinoma should include total thyroidectomy and central compartment lymph node dissection, with additional lymph node dissection if indicated based on preoperative imaging. Postsurgical assessment for residual or recurrent disease should include measurement of serum calcitonin and imaging with neck ultrasonography and, when indicated, CT or MRI of neck and chest, bone scan, or positron emission tomography (PET) scan.
Once medullary thyroid carcinoma has metastasized, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including selpercatinib, cabozantinib, and vandetanib, can lengthen progression-free survival. Clinical trials of other tyrosine kinase inhibitors for metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma are ongoing (3 Treatment references Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2A (MEN 2A) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pheochromocytoma, parathyroid hyperplasia or adenomas (causing... read more ). Cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy are largely ineffective in lengthening survival but may slow disease progression. Postoperative adjuvant external beam radiation should be considered in patients at high risk of local recurrence and those at risk for airway obstruction. Some studies have shown lengthened survival with immunotherapy (eg, tumor-derived vaccines, tumor cell transfectants) and radioimmunotherapy (eg, radioisotope-coupled monoclonal antibodies).
Once genetic testing identifies a child as having a RET mutation, prophylactic thyroidectomy is recommended. Depending on the particular mutation, prophylactic thyroidectomy as early as the first months of life may be indicated. Medullary thyroid cancer can be cured or prevented by early thyroidectomy. There is a genotype-phenotype correlation for patients with RET mutations that may provide information about age of onset and clinical course of medullary thyroid cancer and this impact the timing of surgery for an affected child.
Psychological distress appears to be common and chronic in patients with MEN 2. Contributing factors include low amount of information on the disease, having children with the mutation, number of surgeries, and presence of comorbidities; psychological assessment to identify and treat affected individuals is recommended (4 Treatment references Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2A (MEN 2A) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pheochromocytoma, parathyroid hyperplasia or adenomas (causing... read more ).
Treatment references
1. Wells SA Jr: Advances in the management of MEN2: From improved surgical and medical treatment to novel kinase inhibitors. Endocr Relat Cancer 25:T1–T13, 2018.
2. Castinetti F, Qi XP, Walz AL, et al: Outcomes of adrenal-sparing surgery or total adrenalectomy in phaeochromocytoma associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2: An international retrospective population-based study. Lancet Oncol 15(6):648–655, 2014.
3. Okafor C, Hogan J, Raygada M, et al: Update on Targeted Therapy in Medullary Thyroid Cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 12:708949, 2021. doi:10.3389/fendo.2021.708949
4. Rodrigues KC, Toledo RA, Coutinho FL, et al: Assessment of depression, anxiety, quality of life, and coping in long-standing multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 patients. Thyroid 27(5):693–706, 2017.
Key Points
Most patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2A have medullary thyroid carcinoma, typically beginning in childhood.
Other manifestations are those of hormone excess, particularly hypertension due to pheochromocytoma and hypercalcemia due to hyperparathyroidism.
Patients should have genetic testing for RET proto-oncogene mutations and clinical evaluation for other tumors of the syndrome.
Tumors are excised when possible, beginning with any pheochromocytoma.
Prophylactic thyroidectomy is recommended; timing of the surgery may be influenced by the specific mutation.
More Information
The following English-language resource may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of this resource.
Saravana-Bawan B, Pasternak JD. Multiple endocrine neoplasia 2: an overview. Ther Adv Chronic Dis 2022;13:20406223221079246. Published 2022 Feb 25. doi:10.1177/20406223221079246
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Drug Name | Select Trade |
|---|---|
phenoxybenzamine |
Dibenzyline |
doxazosin |
Cardura, Cardura XL |
prazosin |
Minipress |
selpercatinib |
Retevmo |
cabozantinib |
Cabometyx , COMETRIQ |
vandetanib |
Caprelsa |
