Pediatric Graves' Disease: Surgical Interventions in a Single Institution - A Comprehensive Case Series

Graves' disease (GD) is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in children and adolescents. Data regarding pediatric GD in Indonesia are limited and pose challenges to diagnosing and treating the patients. In many aspects the clinical presentation of GD in children and adolescents resembles that of the adult population. There are three treatments for pediatric GD: anti-thyroid drugs, radioiodine ablation, and thyroidectomy. Although surgery is gaining acceptance as the definitive first-line treatment for children with GD, several studies examining pediatric populations have shown high complication rates. This study aims to describe a series of pediatric GD cases from a tertiary care center over an eight-year period.

Retrospective data of five patients with hyperthyroidism diagnosed with GD between 2014 and 2022 were reviewed. Clinical presentation, diagnosis, therapies, and short-term postoperative outcomes of GD were analyzed. All five GD patients presented with neck lumps. Low TSH levels and elevated FT4 levels were found in all patients preoperatively. Total thyroidectomy was performed in all patients, while one patient had lymphadenectomy concurrently. Histopathologic examination confirmed a diagnosis of GD in all patients. All patients in this study experienced postoperative complications such as hoarseness, while only three patients had hypocalcemia as a complication.

Total thyroidectomy in pediatric patients remains challenging. The euthyroid condition in patient prior to surgery is recommended to avoid the risk of thyroid storm during surgery, but a few studies have revealed that there is no difference in outcomes for hyperthyroid individuals. Close postoperative surveillance for complications of total thyroidectomy is necessary.

Results of this study showed that pediatric GD patients had the same symptoms of hyperthyroidism as adults with all patients complained of neck lumps. Total thyroidectomy is the definitive therapy for GD in pediatrics as well as in adults. The minority of patients will experience transient and benign morbidities, with hoarseness of the voice being the most common transient postoperative morbidity. In performing total thyroidectomy, meticulous surgery and good anatomical recognition are required to avoid postoperative complications. So that, follow-up of post-total thyroidectomy in pediatric GD patients needs to be done.