Thyroid nodules in childhood and adolescence.
Thyroid nodules are uncommon in the paediatric age group. One hundred and twenty-two children and adolescents underwent thyroidectomy for nodular thyroid disease in the Endocrine Surgical Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital over a 37 year period. In the adolescent age group (13-18 years) 99 thyroidectomies were performed and the pattern of thyroid disease was similar to that seen in adults. In the prepubertal are group (0-12 years), the major difference was the high incidence of thyroid malignancy, especially in males. Of 23 prepubertal children undergoing thyroidectomy for nodular disease, malignancy was found in 38% of boys and 13% of girls. Multicentric papillary cancer (66%) and cervical lymph node metastases (80%) were very common, despite which the long-term survival was excellent.
Yip
F W
FW
Endocrine Surgical Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Reeve
T S
TS
Poole
A G
AG
Delbridge
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D037981:Neck Dissection; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data