@article{3164831,
    title = "Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas in Patients under 21 Years of Age: Clinical
and Histologic Characteristics of Tumors <= 10 mm",
    author = "Pazaitou-Panayiotou, Kalliopi and Iliadou, Paschalia K. and Mandanas, and Stylianos and Vasileiadis, Theofanis and Mitsakis, Periklis and and Tziomalos, Konstantinos and Alevizaki, Maria and Patakiouta, Frideriki",
    journal = "Turkish Journal of Pediatrics",
    year = "2015",
    volume = "166",
    number = "2",
    pages = "451+",
    publisher = "MOSBY-ELSEVIER",
    doi = "10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.10.023",
    abstract = "Objective To compare clinical and histologic characteristics of
papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) <= 10 mm in patients <= 21 years old
with larger ones and with microcarcinomas in adults.
Study design Retrospective study of patients with PTC diagnosed between
1983 and 2012. Medical records were reviewed and information about age,
sex, tumor size, intra/extrathyroid extension, lymph node, and distant
metastases were collected.
Results Patients <= 21 years old (n = 93) and adults (n = 1235) with PTC
were identified. Among the former, 34 had PTC <= 10mm (37.4%) and among
the latter, 584 had papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTM) (47.3%), P =
.082. Patients with tumors <= 10 mm less frequently had extrathyroidal
extension and lymph node metastases compared with larger tumors (8.8%
vs 33.3%, P = .017, and 60.0% vs 95.2%, P = .001, respectively). The
percentage of PTC <= 10 mm increased with age (7.1%, 32.0%, and 48.1%
in age groups <= 15, 15-18, and > 18 to <= 21 years old, respectively; P
= .016). Mean tumor size was larger (6.8 +/- 2.7 vs 5.8 +/- 2.8 mm, P =
.030), and lymph nodes metastases were more frequent (41.2% vs 18.6%,
P = .003) in patients <= 21 years of age compared with adults with PTM.
The frequency of multifocal cancers decreased between 1983-1992,
1993-2002, and 2003-2012 (66.7%, 53.6%, and 27.1%, respectively, P =
.019).
Conclusions The frequency of PTC <= 10 mm is low in children, increases
in adolescents, and reaches that of adults at 18-21 years of age. Mean
tumor size is larger and metastases to regional lymph nodes more
frequent in comparison with PTM in adults. Whether their treatment and
follow-up could be based on guidelines used for PTM in adults is
questionable."
}