Carcinoma papilar tiroideo asociado a linfoma. A propósito de tres casos

The thyroid gland is extremely sensitive to external radiation. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the carcinogenic effects of radiation on the thyroid reach a peak during childhood and decrease after 30 years of exposure, although they do not disappear. The effect is also dosedependent, although it can be produced by low doses. The carcinomas that develop are generally papillary with similar behavior to those not induced by radiation, although they are often multifocal. In Hodgkińs disease, a second tumor may sometimes develop, either as an adverse effect of treatment or in the context of a genetic syndrome. We present 3 cases of thyroid papillary carcinoma associated with lymphoma. In the first patient, the lymphoma developed 18 years before the thyroid cancer, and was treated with radiotherapy, but not in childhood. In the remaining 2 patients, the papillary carcinoma developed before the lymphoma, with no antecedents of radiation.