[Is total thyroidectomy and lymph node excision as therapy of differentiated thyroid gland carcinomas in childhood justified?].

The extent of radical resection of differentiated thyroid carcinomas in children (< 18 years) is discussed controversially because of good prognosis, on the one hand, but a high rate of lymph node metastases, greater tumor size, lung metastases and tumor recurrences on the other. Because of our data we advocate thyroidectomy, cervical lymph node dissection and postoperative 131J-therapy as the treatment of choice in patients with manifest disease in order of further detection and/or treatment of lung metastases. Limited radicality (i.e. hemithyroidectomy) should be reserved for children with small and occult tumors.