Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in Children: Prevalence and Predictors in a Large Cohort with Thyroid Nodules Followed Prospectively.

We retrospectively analyzed the findings of a prospective cohort of 75 children referred for thyroid nodules between 2008 and 2013. Prevalence of papillary differentiated thyroid carcinoma was 18.7%. Thyrotropin >2.5 mIU/L, multinodular goiter, solid nodules, irregular margins, and pathologic lymphadenopathies were identified as independent predictors of malignancy.

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma: presentation and follow-up in children and adolescents.

UNLABELLED: To review our Pediatric Endocrinology Division's experience with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) we analyzed retrospectively the records of patients with DTC that had been seen between June 1988 and June 2008. RESULTS: Forty-five patients (median age 13.7 years, 36 female) were diagnosed (papillary: 40, follicular: 5) with DTC presenting as a solitary nodule (n: 25), thyroid nodule with cervical adenopathy (n: 9) and multinodular goiter (n: 11). All underwent total thyroidectomy with resection of suspicious cervical lymph nodes (CLN). DTC was multicentric in 59% and revealed extrathyroidal extension in 44%. Initially, 44% had CLN metastases and 24% distant metastases. All patients underwent thyroid remnant ablation with 131I and suppressive treatment. Median follow-up was 5.1 years with a disease-free survival rate at 5 years of follow-up of 75%. Eleven percent presented recurrences. CONCLUSION: Pediatric DTC has an aggressive behavior at presentation. Higher preoperative TSH levels were significantly associated with a more advanced disease at diagnosis. CLT was present concomitantly in a quarter of the patients and further studies are needed to establish differences in these patients' outcome. Diagnostic approach, total thyroidectomy, 131I treatment and thyrotropin suppression allowed a good progression-free survival rate.

Predicting hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy in children.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy is caused by parathyroid trauma. There are no studies regarding the usefulness of intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) as a monitor of postoperative hypoparathyroidism tool in pediatrics. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of intra- and postoperative PTH to predict the risk of developing post thyroidectomy hypocalcemia in children. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted in 32 pediatric patients (3.2-17.6 years old) undergoing total thyroidectomy. Intact PTH measured by the assays (Immulite Immunoassay System [ICMA] or electrochemioluminescence assay [ECLIA]) at 5 (PTH-5) and 60 (PTH-60) minutes after thyroid removal were considered as predicting variables. The postoperative outcome was hypocalcemia (endpoint variable). Patients were clinically and biochemically monitored regularly for 48 hours after surgery. RESULTS: Of the patients, 47% developed hypocalcemia (15% symptomatic). An ICMA PTH-5 of ≤14 pg/mL or an ECLIA PTH-5 of ≤16 pg/mL predicted hypocalcemia with a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%, and diagnostic efficiency (DE) of 91%. Using the same cutoff values, PTH-60 presented a sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 82%, PPV of 81%, and DE of 87%. Adjusting for variation in the assays and combining intra- and postoperative PTH determinations, we developed an algorithm that improved sensitivity, specificity, and DE. CONCLUSION: PTH is useful for predicting hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy in children. The use of our proposed strategy should be considered to (a) initiate preventive treatment in patients identified at high risk for hypocalcemia, (b) shorten the duration of hospitalization, and (c) reduce the clinical and biochemical controls in those who remained normocalcemic.