MEN Syndromes: What Is It?

Contrary to what the name may suggest, MEN syndromes do not just occur in male population but also in female population. The full form of MEN is “Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia”.

The syndrome is characterized by enlargement and over activity of certain endocrine glands. There are three types of MEN. These are MEN1, MEN 2a, and MEN 2b. The term syndrome is used to denote a case where the patient suffers from a group of clinical diseases. Therefore, there are certain diseases associated with each type of these MEN syndrome.

If a person is said to have MEN1 syndrome then, the person may be possibly suffering from pituitary tumors, pancreatic tumors and parathyroid tumors. In case of MEN 2a, the clinical diseases like parathyroid tumor, medullary thyroid caners (MTC) and pheochromocytoma may be experienced. In the last type of MEN, MEN 2b, possible diseases include neuromas, pheochromocytoma and medullary thyroid cancers.

The syndrome is often an inherited disease. Certain genes are responsible for this syndrome. But a family which may have the MEN gene will only have the gene for just of the three types of the MEN syndromes. The MEN syndromes are not influenced by the race or by the gender. They occur in men and women in equal proportion.

50% of the MEN syndromes patients die by the age of 50 years. MEN 1 are the most common type of MEN which leads to death. Most of the deaths occur due to malignancy complications. It has been observed that women in their 30s are most likely to get the MEN genes triggered and develop the syndrome. The most susceptible age for men to develop the syndrome is in their 40s.

Interestingly, hyperthyroidism due to MEN 1 may develop in patients as young as 17 years old. But diagnosis of these syndromes is better in people above 18 years of age.