Thyroid carcinoma.

Eleven cases of thyroid cancer occurring in patients below 15 years of age are presented. The youngest patient was 4 years old. There were 4 boys and 7 girls in the study group. None of the patients had received head and neck irradiation. All patients had well differentiated cancers; there were 4 follicular carcinomas and 3 of these occurred in patients below 10 years of age. Six patients presented with solitary thyroid nodules. Lymph node involvement had occurred in 63.7% of cases. One patient presented with CNS metastasis. Treatment aimed at near total thyroidectomy was performed in 9 patients. Two patients died of the disease during the follow up period and another 3 patients are alive. Postoperatively radioactive iodine was routinely used for evaluating and treating residual and recurrent disease.