Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas in Patients under 21 Years of Age: Clinical and Histologic Characteristics of Tumors ≤10 mm

Comparison of differentiated thyroid cancer in children and adolescents (≤20 years) with young adults

“…The median tumour size was larger, and lymph node metastases were more common in children compared with adults with PTC microcarcinomas. The frequency of microcarcinomas increased with increasing age of children and adolescent subgroup . In a recent study from St. Louis, USA, Markovina et al .…”

“…Previous studies suggested that it is more aggressive at presentation than adult DTC with more likelihood of lymph node and distant metastases and a higher chance of persistent/recurrent disease. Conversely and fortunately, mortality from DTC in children is exceedingly rare and its long‐term outcome is favourable . Due to its rarity and the seemingly different disease profile, its management remains largely empirical and is mostly extrapolated from the management of DTC in adults .…”

“…Most of the previous studies were descriptive case series of paediatric DTC . The few studies that compared DTC in children with adults included adults at different ages ranging from 20 to 90 years .…”

“…In a recent study from Greece, 34 cases of PTC microcarcinomas identified in a cohort of 93 children and adolescents <21 years were studied . The subgroup with PTC microcarcinomas was also compared with another subgroup of 584 adults with PTC microcarcinomas.…”

“…However, it is not clear if this favourable outcome in patients <45 years is consistent across all age groups. In several case series, DTC in paediatric and adolescents (<20 years, referred to thereafter as paediatric DTC) seems to have a different clinicopathological profile and outcome . However, none of the previous studies compared DTC in patients >20 to <45 years with DTC in the paediatric age group (≤20 years).…”