Management of Thyroid Nodules in Children: A single-center experience.

[INTRODUCTION] Thyroid nodules are a common diagnosis in adults. However, in children, they are rare, occurring in only 1-5% of cases. Early diagnosis and prompt management are crucial due to the higher likelihood of malignancy. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of thyroid nodules in children and plan their therapeutic management.

[MATERIALS AND METHODS] A retrospective study was conducted on 29 children who underwent surgery for thyroid nodules at our ENT department between 2000 and 2022.

[RESULTS] The average age of the patients was 14.4 years, with a clear predominance of females (sex ratio of 0.16). The primary complaint was the appearance of an anterior cervical swelling in 82.7% of cases. The surgical procedures performed on the thyroid gland included isthmectomy in one patient, lobectomy in 16 patients, and total thyroidectomy in 12 patients. Total thyroidectomy was performed in one step in 10 cases and in two steps in 2 cases where papillary carcinoma was found in the final histological examination of the lobectomy parts. Papillary carcinoma was confirmed in four cases (13.8%) after definitive histological examination. All patients had favourable outcomes. The mean follow-up was 31 months for benign cases and 15 months after the last course of radioactive iodine therapy for malignant cases.

[CONCLUSION] Thyroid nodules are uncommon in children. To evaluate the risk of malignancy in children with thyroid nodules, ultrasound and cytology should be performed. This will help determine the appropriate surgical management.