Thyroid carcinoma surgery in children and adolescents – 15 years experience surgery of pediatric thyroid carcinoma

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of thyroid gland surgery focusing on malignancies at the pediatric age with the main concern on treatment results and complications in extensive primary treatment.MethodsThe records of all patients 18 years and younger with surgically treated thyroid diseases in the Prague Hospital, Motol, between 1991 and 2006 were retrospectively reviewed.ResultsThyroid surgery was performed on 148 pediatric patients (including 56 carcinomas). The youngest patient involved in the study was seven years old, the oldest patient 18 years old (mean 13.7 years). Most frequent histological cancer type was PTC (42 cases, 75%). Follicular cancer was diagnosed in five cases (8.9%) and medullar cancer in nine cases (16.1%). A prophylactic thyroidectomy was performed in three cases (5.4%) without clinical signs of thyroid tumor with diagnosed RET gene mutation.ConclusionsWe consider total thyroidectomy with subsequent radioiodine ablation and TSH suppression as the basic approach in the treatment protocol of pediatric WDTC. The observed 100% recurrence-free and overall survival together with a low incidence of postoperative complications strongly supports the idea of a total thyroidectomy with selective neck dissection in the treatment of metastases of WDTC and MTC.