Journal
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC SURGERY
Volume 40, Issue 11, Pages 1696-1700Publisher
W B SAUNDERS CO-ELSEVIER INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2005.07.029
Keywords
papillary thyroid cancer; selective lymph node dissection; total thyroidectomy; pediatric cancer
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Purpose: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in children is rare. The optimal initial surgical treatment remains controversial, given the generally favorable overall prognosis but high rate of cervical metastasis and local recurrence. Our objective was to examine the surgical outcomes of a policy of total thyroidectomy and routine selective lymph node dissection (SLND) as the initial surgical approach to children with PTC. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study comprising 14 children (age, < 17 years) with PTC referred for thyroid surgery during the past 15 years. Clinical presentation, the surgical procedure, final pathology, lymph node involvement, complications, and recurrence rates are reported. Results: There were 9 females and 5 males, with an average age of 12.5 years. Seven patients (50%) had clinically apparent cervical lymphadenopathy at the time of surgical referral. All subjects underwent total thyroidectomy, and 12 (86%) had SLND. Of the 12 who underwent SLND, 10 (83%) had nodal metastases. Temporary hypocalcemia was noted in 3 of the patients (21%), and 1 patient has required ongoing intermittent calcium supplementation. All patients are alive and well at follow-up with no clinical, biochemical, or radiological evidence of local recurrence. Conclusions: Total thyroidectomy with initial SLND is an appropriate surgical approach in children with PTC. It can be done without a significantly increased risk for permanent complications and may reduce the requirement for subsequent surgical intervention for local recurrence in this young population. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available