Aspectos clínicos del cáncer tiroideo en niños

Abstract

Clinical aspects of thyroid carcinoma in children Nine patients with thyroid carcinoma, 4 boys and 5 girls, aged 3 to 16 years are described. Their clinical signs went on from hard goiter, through those of mild symptoms of local compression, to evidence of metastases. Thyroid function was normal in these patients and thyroid scintigraphic scans revealed focal low or absent radio iodine uptake. The pathologic study revealed in all them differenciated thyroid carcinomas: 4 papillary cancers associated to chronic thyroidits in 3; 3 cases of papillar-folicular carcinomas and 2 of medullar carcinomas without familiar antecedents. The treatment of choice was total thyroidectomy, for possible multifocal compromise, together with affected adjacent lymph nodes remotion. Post-operative thyroid hormone treatment at TSH suppressive dose was also indicated. Post operative evolution was satisfactory, but secondary hypoparathyroidism ocurred in 3 patients. Early diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma affords relatively good prognosis.

Cáncer de tiroides pediátrico: Serie de casos

“…Representa entre el 3 y 5% del total de cáncer de tiroides y el 15% de las muertes por cáncer de tiroides. Este carcinoma puede ser esporádico o familiar 21 . Es interesante destacar que, cuando es de tipo familiar o genético, existe la posibilidad de pesquisarlo en estadios preclínicos mediante el seguimiento con niveles serológicos de calcitonina en los familiares de un caso índice y su ratificación con estudios cromosómicos.…”