[Thyroiditis in children. Personal observations]

Enlargement of the thyroid gland, local tenderness and thyroid function disorder are common symptoms of thyroiditis. Hashimoto's thyroiditis (chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis) is the most common form of thyroiditis in children. This disease is a frequent cause of acquired hypothyroidism. Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is characterised by infiltration of the thyroid gland by lymphocytes, gradual destruction of the gland and production of various thyroid autoantibodies, mainly antimicrosomal (ATM) and antithyroglobulin antibodies (ATGL). 54 children (45 girls and 9 boys) aged from 11 to 18 with confirmed or suspected HT were observed. The clinical diagnosis of HT was confirmed by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in 27 patients. In one case HT was histologicaly confirmed after thyroid surgery. FNAB was not carried out in 19 patients and in 7 cases FNAB was thyroiditis negative. All patients were positive for ATM and/or ATGL. Initially 24 patients were euthyroid. Hypothyroidism was recognized in 8 children, subclinical hypothyroidism in 11 children. One patient was hyper- thyroid. 51 patients were treated with l-thyroxin. Ultrasonography revealed variable thyroid abnormality in all patients: hyperplasia in 38 patients, multinodular goiter or solitary nodule in 15 patients. 8 children suffered from associated disease: 5 patients from allergy, 1 patient from trombocytopenia, 1 from alopecia areata, 1 from secondary amenorrhea. Follow up examination of children with HT must be continued due to the risk of hypothyroidism or neoplastic disease of thyroid.