title: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma of children and adolescents: 27-year experience in the yonsei university health system.
abstract: Thyroid carcinomas are uncommon in childhood and adolescence. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical features and clinical outcomes of thyroid cancer in the pediatric population treated in the Yonsei University Health System. From September 1982 to June 2009, 90 patients (75 females, 15 males; female:male ratio of 5:1) with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were identified in our institute. The mean age at diagnosis was 15.8 yr old (range 4.8-19.9 yr). Cervical masses were most common clinical manifestations at diagnosis in 65 patients (72.2%). Forty-two patients underwent less than total thyroidectomy and 18 patients underwent total thyroidectomy. Thirty patients (33.3%) had lateral neck lymph node metastasis and seven patients (7.8%) had lung metastasis at the time of surgery. Among the 90 patients, recurrence occurred in 14 patients (15.5%). Mean follow-up period for patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma was 81.6 months (13-324 months). No patients died of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who were < 20-yr-of-age were present with aggressive local disease and a high frequency of lymph node and distant metastasis. It is recommended that pediatric thyroid cancer should be managed mostly using proper surgical approach with thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection when indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seulkee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jun Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Haeng Rang
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Cho-Rok
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sang-Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jong Ju
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Kee-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Woong Youn
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Cheong Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D015996:Survival Rate; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes
keywords: Children and Adolescents; Clinical Outcome; Differentiated Thyroid Cancer; Pediatric Thyroid Cancer; Survival Rate