Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are much less common in children and adolescents than in adults. However, thyroid nodules in children are more likely to be malignant. Most thyroid cancers in children are differentiated thyroid cancers, which arise from the follicular cells of the thyroid gland. Although extremely rare (1.5% of all tumours before the age of 15), there are two types of differentiated thyroid cancer in children: papillary and follicular. Around 90% of paediatric thyroid cancers are papillary thyroid cancers. Despite the higher tendency to spread in children compared with adults, differentiated thyroid cancer has an excellent outcome, with a survival rate of over 95%.

Observation: Child aged 07, with no particular history, consults following the appearance of a basal cervical mass. It is a hard, painless mass, roughly oval in shape, approximately 03 cm long, mobile axis with swallowing movements, non-compressive, without inflammatory signs, and in clinical euthyroidism. Cervical ultrasound reveals a solid isthemic nodular formation, with presence of micro calcifications measuring 23x1 mm, classified EU-TIRADS V, associated with multiple bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy. TSH and thyrocalcitonin levels returned to normal. Patient underwent a total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection and was placed on levothyroxine 100 μg/m²/day. Anatomopathological study concluded that there was a 4 cm non-encapsulated intrathyroidal papillary carcinoma with 4 recurrent lymph node metastases, classified pT2N1bMx.

Discussion-Conclusion: Accounting for around 90% of paediatric thyroid carcinomas, papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer in children and adolescents. The second most common type of thyroid cancer is follicular thyroid cancer, and both types can usually be treated similarly.