ANAPLASTIC THYROID-CARCINOMA PRODUCING THE GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (G-CSF) - REPORT OF A CASE

We report herein the unusual case of a 60-year-old woman with an anapl astic thyroid carcinoma which produced granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). She presented with large neck masses, respiratory diff iculty, and a high fever. Laboratory examinations revealed marked leuk ocytosis of 43,200/mm(3) with 85% granulocytes and an elevated G-CSF l evel of 67 pg/dl. Total thyroidectomy with bilateral node dissection a nd tracheostomy was performed, and a histological diagnosis of large-c ell anaplastic thyroid carcinoma was confirmed. Immunohistochemical ex amination with a polyclonal antibody against G-CSF stained the tumor c ells. Although the respiratory difficulty, fever, and marked granulocy tosis subsequently improved, she died 1 month after undergoing surgery due to metastatic mediastinal disease.