Thyroid cancer in childhood.

A rare case of a papillary thyroid cancer in a young boy is reported. At the age of 8 years a rapidly growing tumour of the right antero-lateral neck region was detected. Biopsy revealed a cervical lymph node metastasis of a papillary thyroid carcinoma. Any adequate therapy was rejected by the patient's father. After two years of delay, at the age of ten, a severe dyspnoea urged to an emergency tracheotomy. The further investigations revealed a bilateral partly papillary, partly follicular and partly anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with infiltration and compression of the cervical trachea and the cricoid and with right recurrent nerve paralysis. The thyroid cancer was classified as T3N2bM0. To save the boy's life an extensive operation was performed with total extirpation of the thyroid gland and the adjacent tissues, total laryngectomy and resection of the cervical trachea, combined with bilateral neck dissection. The patient has been given no other treatment than hormone substitution during 16 years after surgery. The patient grew up normally and stayed recurrence-free. As far as we could find in world literature, this is the youngest patient with total laryngectomy, partial resection of the trachea, total thyroidectomy and bilateral neck dissection.