RET and medullary thyroid gland carcinoma: In the familial syndromes, specific RET proto-oncogene mutations are associated with disease aggressiveness and prognosis, such that prophylactic thyroidectomy is recommended by the age of 10 for all recognised RET-oncogene mutation carriers.3,8 However, ultrasound still plays a key role in diagnosing de-novo hereditary cases and sporadic MTC.