Thyroid cancer in children

The mean age of our patients was 14.5 years. A clear predominance was noted with a sex ratio of 0.6. The clinical presentation was unambiguous. In most cases it was an anterior basi-cervical swelling. Ultrasound was performed in all cases. A single-stage total thyroidectomy was performed in 12 cases with extemporaneous examination concluding malignancy. Four patients underwent second-stage total thyroidectomy. Central lymph node dissection was performed in all cases combined with functional lateral dissection in six. Papillary carcinoma was the most frequent histological type. Capsular effraction multifocality and vascular emboli were noted in six two and five cases respectively. Node invasion was found in 50% of cases. Fourteen patients underwent postoperative iratherapy thirteen of whom were in complete remission at the end of treatment. External radiotherapy was indicated in one case of medullary carcinoma with central sector lymph node metastases. One patient died of pulmonary metastases from an insular carcinoma.