Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2015 Nov;58(11):764-768. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2015.58.11.764.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Patients Aged under 20

• Park SH
• Choi JY
• Kim NY
• Kim KH
• Lee GH
• Lee BC
• Lee MC
• Choi IJ

• KMID: 2129806
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2015.58.11.764

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Thyroid carcinoma rarely occurs in children and adolescents, whose clinical features are diverse, and treatment outcomes are still controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and the treatment outcomes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients younger than 20 years old.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
This is a retrospective study for patients younger than 20 years old, who were diagnosed as PTC from January 1992 to February 2009. Clinical features, size, pathologic type, extrathyroidal extension, recurrence, multiplicity, extent of surgery, and lymph node metastasis were retrospectively evaluated.
RESULTS
Forty patients, of 6 malse and 34 females, were enrolled, with their mean age being 16 years old. The initial operations were total thyroidectomy for 9 patients, unilateral lobectomy for 15 patients, and total thyroidectomy and lateral neck dissection for 16 patients. Cervical lymph node metastases were diagnosed in 25 patients. Extrathyroidal extensions were observed in 30 patients. Postoperative radioactive iodine therapy was performed in 35 patients. During the follow-up period, 8 patients had recurred. All patients were alive at the last follow-up.
CONCLUSION
PTC in children and adolescents aged under 20 is a rare disease and tends to present as an advanced disease with low mortality compared to adult PTC. Recurrence had no effect on survival. Aggressive treatment with total thyroidectomy, central neck dissection, and radioiodine therapy may prevent recurrence.

Keyword

Adolescent; Children; Papillary thyroid carcinoma

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Child
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Iodine
Lymph Nodes
Mortality
Neck Dissection
Neoplasm Metastasis
Rare Diseases
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms*
Thyroidectomy
Iodine