Management of pediatric papillary thyroid cancer

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) originates from the follicular cell of the thyroid gland. PTC is a rare cancer and usually develops in pre-existing thyroid nodules, which are not common in children. PTC is often multifocal and bilateral. Low-risk subtypes such as classic PTC and follicular variant account for the majority of PTC, while high-risk histologic subtypes such as tall cell variant, diffuse sclerosing variant and poorly differentiated thyroid cancer occur more rarely in children. It is worth noting that the size of the thyroid in children is smaller compared to that of adults. Therefore, the size criteria used for tumor staging as well as the diagnosis of papillary microcarcinoma in adults, do not apply to children. Family history of thyroid cancer, exposure to external radiation, iodine deficiency, and autoimmune thyroid diseases as well as some genetic syndromes increase the risk of its occurrence.