NODULAR GOITRE AND THYROID CARCINOMA IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT AGE GROUP

Abstract

Although the prevalence of thyroid nodules in children and adolescent age group are extremely uncommon, the malignancy risk of a nodule is greater than adults in this patient group. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the risk of malignancy in noduler goiter in childhood and adolescent age group in an endemic goiter area. The charts of 45 patients (30 girls and 15 boys) with thyroid pathology that had required surgical treatment in our institution (Akdeniz University Hospital, Departments of General and Pediatric Surgery) from August 1991 to May 2001 were reviewed. Age varied from 8 to 21 (mean 18). All the patients, except three, were euthyroid at diagnosis and in the great majority of cases (68%) the only presenting sign was an asymtomatic neck mass. In total, the incidence of thyroid carcinoma was 33% (15 of 45 thyroidectomy specimens). The incidence of malignancy in patients with solitary hypoactive nodules was 38% and in patients with multinodüler goiter was 31% (p=0.57). The incidence of surgical complications was 9 % (one permanent-one transient hypoparathyroidism and one permanent-one transient laryngeal nerve injury). The prevalence of malignancy in paediatric and adolescent age group with thyroid nodules is more common than adults and these patients should be observed carefully.