LATS was measured with the double isotope technique in IgG serum concentrates of 23 patients with Graves' disease before treatment and of 18 patients during treatment with carbimazole and triiodothyronine. LATS activity was present in 18 out of 23 patients before treatment (78%). When the second measurement was taken into account the incidence did increase to 95%. No difference could be found in the mean values of total thyroxine, thyroid 131-I uptake and thyroid weight of the group of LATS positive and LATS negative patients before treatment. Also no relation could be established between LATS activity and suppressibility of thyroid 131-I uptake during treatment. It was found that LATS positive patients who suppress during therapy have lower initial LATS blood levels than LATS positive patients who remain unsuppressed. It is concluded that it is more likely that LATS is a "marker" of Graves' disease rather than the cause of the hyperthyroidism.

Studies were conducted concerning the relation between TT< and AFT 4 in a family with TBG deficiency, consisting of 8 affected and 16 unaffected members, and in a group of 48 normals. A highly significant positive relationship between these 2 parameters was found within the family, as well as within the group of normals. Subjects with TBG deficiency had low TT 4 and lowered AFT4 levels. From additional studies it appeared that there existed no relationship between AFT 4 and T 4 disposal in 20 euthyroid controls, including 2 subjects with TBG deficiency and 2 females with TBG elevation due to oral contraceptives. It is concluded that in these circumstances AFT 4 was not a clear determinant in the absolute peripheral T 4 turnover. (J Clin Endocr 33: 63, 1971)

SUMMARY The present report describes the case history of a woman suffering from an ectopic ACTH syndrome due to a medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. Histologic and electron microscopic studies revealed the tumorous nature of the so‐called ‘macrophage‐like’cell; the diagnostic significance of this cell is stressed. It appears that there is a whole spectrum of tumour cells ranging from the typical tumour cell via transitional forms to ‘macrophage‐like’tumour cells. Tumour tissue was investigated for the presence of calcitonin and ACTH by immunological and biological methods. Tumour tissue sections stained specifically for calcitonin in the immunofluorescence technique; high concentrations of calcitonin could be demonstrated in tumour extracts both by radioimmunoassay and bioassay. In contrast, the presence of ACTH in tumour tissue could be demonstrated only by radioimmunoassay. The negative results of the bioassay could be attributed to the relative insensitivity of the method used, and a similar explanation may account for the negative results using the immunofluorescence technique. Plasma levels of both calcitonin and ACTH were very high. A final diagnosis of an ACTH and calcitonin secreting medullary carcinoma of the thyroid was made. There is no reason to believe that these polypeptide hormones are produced by different cell types.

In 1973, a 10 year old boy presented with numerous bilateral lung nodules, diagnosed as histiocytosis X by open lung biopsy. The patient was treated with prednisone until 1984. In 1993, he developed severe pain in the neck. A biopsy of the spine revealed the same tumour morphology as was seen in the lung in 1973. Immunohistological examination of the former and present biopsy led to the definitive diagnosis of epithelioid haemangioendothelioma of the lung with metastases to spine and liver. Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma of the lung is a rare soft tissue tumour of vascular origin, readily mistaken for carcinoma or, as in this case, histiocytosis. The tumour has an intermediate malignant potential. Although metastases of epithelioid haemangioendothelioma of the lung are well-known, metastatic spread to bones, as in our case, has not previously been mentioned in the literature.