Pathologic study of thyroid nodules in children and young adult population up to 20 years, in cancer institute-Emam Khomeini Medical Complex during the years 1973 to 1997

Abstract

Nodules in the thyroid have always commanded a great deal of attention because of the fear of their being cancerous. The estimated incidence of thyroid nodules in children and young adults is about 0.22 to 1.8 percent. According to different epidemiological data, about 10 to 35 percent of thyroid cancers occur in the first two decades. The present study based on microscopic review of tissue slides obtained from thyroid nodules in cancer institute during 24 years focusing on malignant lesions in the mentioned age group revealed the following results: The average age of patients was 16.5. The female to male ratio is about 3.3/1 (76.7 percent female and 23.3 percent male). About 84 percent of thyroid nodules were benign with the following incidence of different morphologic features: nodular goiter 78.6 percent, follicular adenoma 1.96 percent, 16 percent of thyroid nodules were malignant with the following incidence of different morphologic variants: papillary CA 91.3 percent, follicular CA 3.5 percent and medullary CA 5.2 percent. Papillary carcinoma as the predominant from of thyroid cancer was accompanied by unilateral cervical lymph node metastasis in 53.8 percent of cases and distant metastasis (to lung) just in one case. According to major variation of papillary carcinoma, we found the classic type in 33 cases, the follicular variant in 18 cases and micro carcinoma in one case. Based on the above results once again we reach this belief that every thyroid nodule especially in children and young adults demands careful appraisal.

Keywords

• Children and young adults
• Papillary CA