[Repeat surgery for recurrent thyroid cancer in children]

Repeat surgery for recurrent thyroid carcinoma was carried out in 110 out of 662 (16.6%) children followed up at the Republican Thyroid Cancer Center, Minsk, in 1990-2000. Age varied 4.2-15 years (average 11.8 yrs). Papillary carcinoma was diagnosed in 94.4%, follicular type--5.1%, and medullary thyroid carcinoma--0.5%. Repeat surgery was indicated in cases of involvement of the regional lymph nodes of the neck. In 4 cases, lymph node metastases were associated with relapsing tumor surviving in the remaining thyroid tissue. Repeat surgery was required to remove the remnants of thyroid tissue in 12 cases of lung involvement. Risk of relapse is determined by the nature of primary intervention, and the best results are achieved when total thyroidectomy and bilateral dissection of neck lymph nodes are performed.