It has been suggested a different biodevelopment in the differentiated thyroid cancer in pediatric age. General and pediatric surgeons from different centres has coincided to operate this kind of pediatric pathology that finally conclude the treatment in the nuclear medicine department from the reference hospital. The objectives of this revision is, to confirm de difference in thyroid cancer in pediatric age and to know few factors implicated.
Materials and methods: A review of 57 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, medullary and anaplastic were excluded, treated in the nuclear medicine department during the last 20 years. 28% were < 10 years old (16 cases) and 72% > 10 years old (41 cases). This 57 young patients were operated in 22 hospitals and 79% by a general surgeon and 21% by pediatric surgeon. The analysis was performed with SPSS MS Windows 6.0 (chi cuadrado, t-Student-Fisher).
Results: There are more reinterventions in patients operated by a general surgeon. There aren't differences between the number of total neck dissections between both groups of surgeons, but when is performed, the incidence of complications is significantly high. In patients < 10 years old, there are more metastasis and more surgical complications. In spite of, all patients still alive.
Conclusions: Children < 10 years old, the illness is more local aggressive and the recurrence and lung metastasis is high, more surgical complications. We recommend to concentrate this pathology in a few hospitals to achieve more experience and to avoid complications.