Total thyroidectomy for benign disease in the pediatric patient--feasible and safe.
OBJECTIVE
Total thyroidectomy (TT) is a safe and efficacious treatment of malignant thyroid disease in children. The role of TT in benign thyroid disease is less well-defined. The goal of this study was to compare the safety of TT performed for benign and malignant disease.


METHODS
The medical records of 31 patients undergoing TT from January 2000 to June 2007 at a single center were reviewed. The benign cohort totaled 15 patients consisting of 12 with Graves' disease, 2 with hyperthyroidism, and 1 with large and symptomatic multinodular goiter. The malignant cohort totaled 16 patients consisting of 9 with malignant disease, 4 with a nodule and history of cancer or radiation exposure, and 3 with RET proto-oncogene mutations.


RESULTS
The most common complication was transient hypocalcemia observed in 7 (46%) of 15 patients with benign disease and 9 (56%) of 16 patients with malignancy (P = .72). Permanent hypocalcemia, defined as need for calcium supplement 6 months postprocedure, was observed in 1 patient with benign disease (6.67%) and 1 patient with malignancy (6.25%; P = 1.0). A single parathyroid gland was reimplanted in 2 patients with malignancy and 2 patients with benign disease (P = 1.0). One case of keloid scar was noted, and no cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, nerve paralysis, tracheal injury, tracheostomy, or wound infection were encountered in either cohort. There were no cases of relapse hyperthyroidism in the benign cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Similar rates of postoperative complications can be expected with TT for benign thyroid disease as compared to TT for malignant disease. Total thyroidectomy is a safe treatment option for benign thyroid disease in children.
Raval
Mehul V
MV
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
Browne
Marybeth
M
Chin
Anthony C
AC
Zimmerman
Donald
D
Angelos
Peter
P
Reynolds
Marleta
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome