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Updated: Jun 24, 2025
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Published on: September 15, 2023
Thyroidectomy in children and adolescents: a systematic review
Angeliki Vouchara1, Angeliki Chorti1, Georgios Tzikos1
11st Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Insights
Pediatric thyroid surgery is safe and effective for treating thyroid disease in patients under 18. Thyroidectomy, particularly in high-volume centers, offers excellent outcomes for both benign and malignant conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Endocrinology
- Thyroidology
Background:
- Thyroid surgery in children is less common than in adults but shares similar indications and complications.
- This review focuses on the surgical management of thyroid disease in patients under 18 years old.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the surgical management of thyroid disease in the pediatric population.
- To analyze demographics, indications, procedures, complications, and outcomes of pediatric thyroidectomy.
Main Methods:
- Bibliographic search of international literature.
- Retrospective review of 37 studies including 12,728 pediatric patients undergoing thyroidectomy.
Main Results:
- Thyroidectomy was more frequent in females around 14 years old, with benign pathology being the primary indication.
- Hypoparathyroidism was the most common complication, but pediatric thyroid cancer survival rates are excellent.
- Total and subtotal thyroidectomy are increasingly popular due to safety and effectiveness in young patients.
Conclusions:
- Thyroidectomy by experienced, high-volume surgeons is a safe and efficient treatment for pediatric thyroid disease.
- The procedure demonstrates excellent survival rates for pediatric thyroid cancer.
Background:
Thyroid surgery in pediatric population is not as common as that in adults, although they share the same indications, techniques and complications. This review aims to evaluate the surgical management of thyroid disease in patients under 18 years old.
Methods:
We conducted a bibliographic search in the international literature. Data from the identified studies such as demographics, indication for surgery, type of procedure, complications and length of hospital stay were recorded. A retrospective review study of all patients under 18 years old who underwent thyroidectomy was performed.
Results:
We included 37 retrospective studies and a total of 12,728 patients. Thyroidectomy was more common in female patients and the mean age was approximately 14 years old. The leading indication for surgery was benign thyroid pathology. Due to the surgical treatments' safety and effectiveness in young patients, total and subtotal thyroidectomy, whether for malignancies or benign diseases, is becoming more popular today. The most often occurring complication of pediatric thyroid surgery is hypoparathyroidism. Despite the high likelihood of recurrence of pediatric malignancies, overall survival rates of pediatric thyroid cancer are excellent.
Conclusions:
Thyroidectomy performed by high-volume thyroid surgeons in children and adolescents is considered an efficient and safe method of treatment of thyroid disease.
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