Thyroid disease in children and adolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Surgical Oncology
• Thyroidology

Background:

• Thyroid diseases are uncommon in pediatric populations.
• Surgical intervention is sometimes necessary for pediatric thyroid conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the surgical management of thyroid diseases in children and adolescents.
• To determine the prevalence and characteristics of different thyroid pathologies in this age group.
• To assess the incidence of malignancy in pediatric nodular thyroid disease.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 73 pediatric patients (ages 5-18) who underwent thyroid surgery.
• Classification of thyroid diseases including diffuse simple goiter, diffuse toxic goiter, and nodular goiter.
• Detailed analysis of nodular goiter subtypes, including adenomatous goiter, thyroiditis, lymphoma, and cancer.

Main Results:

• Nodular goiter was the most common indication for surgery (44/73 patients).
• Cancer was diagnosed in 8/44 patients with nodular goiter.
• The incidence of cancer in nodular goiter was 40% in children under 10 years, compared to 14.7% in those aged 11-18 years.
• Thyroid nodules were more frequent in girls, but cancer incidence within nodular goiter was higher in boys.

Conclusions:

• Nodular thyroid disease is a significant indication for surgery in children and adolescents.
• Younger children and boys with thyroid nodules face a higher risk of malignancy.
• Early diagnosis and surgical evaluation are crucial for pediatric thyroid conditions.