[Thyroid neoplasms in children and adolescents--personal experience]

Between 1974-1992 we operated 12,344 patients at the Clinic of Surgery of the Institute of Endocrinology of the Lódź Medical Academy for various forms of goiter. Of these, 295 patients were between the ages of 9-18 years, including 268 (90.8%) girls and 27 (9.2%) boys. Malignant thyroid neoplasm was diagnosed in 19 of these children (6.4%). From among the 268 girls, malignant tumors were discovered in 15 (5.6%), while among the 27 boys, in 4 (14.8%). Ten of these neoplasms were carcinoma papillare, 9 carcinoma folliculare. All of the children are alive without signs of metastases or recurrence. None developed hypoparathyroidism, but one child presented unilateral paresis of the vocal chords.