The evaluation of thyroid carcinoma in childhood and concomitance of autoimmune thyroid disorders.
Autoimmune thyroiditis has been suggested as a precancerous condition in some adult studies, but there is still controversy. The importance of autoimmune thyroiditis in childhood thyroid cancer is not yet completely clear. We aimed to evaluate in this study the characteristics of childhood thyroid cancer in patients particularly in terms of coexisting factors including autoimmune thyroid disorders (ATD). Twenty patients diagnosed with primary thyroid cancer were evaluated retrospectively in a Pediatric Endocrinology clinic for 10 years. Patients were followed up for 57.22±11 months. Concomitant conditions (thyroidal and/or extra thyroidal) were determined. Most of the patients (80%) had a coexisting factor. ATDs are the most frequently encountered among them (40%). The ages at the time of diagnosis were older; and the tumor sizes were smaller in patients with concomitant ATDs than without autoimmune thyroid disorders. The follow-up characteristics were similar in both groups. In conclusion, ATDs are frequently encountered in association with thyroid cancer during childhood and adolescence. A thyroid autoimmunity may facilitate the development of a malignant thyroid tumor; on the other hand, increased attention to the thyroid gland may facilitate frequent diagnosis of thyroid cancer. A close follow-up of ATD patients should also include the evaluation of the development of thyroid malignancy.
Bülent
B
Hacıhamdioğlu
Gönül
G
Oçal
Merih
M
Berberoğlu
Senay
S
Savaş Erdeve
Emine
E
Camtosun
Pınar
P
Kocaay
Suat
S
Fitoz
Koray
K
Ceyhan
Hüseyin
H
Dindar
Aydın
A
Yağmurlu
Metin
M
Kır
Emel
E
Unal
Zeynep
Z
Sıklar
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult