Thyroid cancer in Lebanese children and adolescents: a 15-year experience at a single institution.
OBJECTIVE
Thyroid carcinomas are rare in childhood and adolescence. Management of this entity remains controversial. The aim of this study is to review our experience with multidisciplinary management of papillary thyroid cancer in the pediatric population at a tertiary care specialized medical center in Lebanon.


METHODS
The medical records of all patients with thyroid cancer younger than 20 years who presented to our center between January 1991 and January 2006 were reviewed.


RESULTS
Thirteen patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) were identified. No patient had previous exposure to ionizing radiation. The mean age at diagnosis was 14.5 years. There were 8 females; all patients presented with a cervical mass. Ten patients underwent total thyroidectomy and three subtotal thyroidectomy. Eight patients (61.5%) had regional lymph node metastases, only one of whom (7.6%) had lung metastases. All received radioactive "131I" ablation postsurgical excision. Five (38.5%) had recurrences and needed multiple surgeries and/or "131I" ablation. At a median follow-up time of 8.3 years all patients are disease free.


CONCLUSIONS
Pediatric thyroid cancer in Lebanon is a rare tumor that presents mainly as a primary malignancy. The main clinical presentation is a cervical mass with locoregional lymph nodes metastasis. The mainstay of therapy is total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection when indicated and radioactive "131I" ablation. Despite recurrences the prognosis is excellent.
Dardas
Majd
M
Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Abboud
Miguel
M
Salti
Ibrahim
I
Sabri
Alain
A
Shoucair
Mahmoud
M
Saleh
Monzer
M
Azar
Sami
S
Rodriguez-Galindo
Carlos
C
Muwakkit
Samar
S
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007861:Lebanon; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013965:Thyroidectomy
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes