What is the likelihood that thyroid nodules in children and adolescents are cancerous?
The vast majority of thyroid nodules are benign. However, thyroid nodules in children and adolescents have a higher risk of malignancy than in adults. 20% to 30% of thyroid nodules in children are cancerous. Only 5% to 10% of adult thyroid nodules are cancerous.
How do doctors evaluate thyroid nodules in children and adolescents?
Similar to adult thyroid nodules, your doctor will evaluate them by following these steps:
- Physical examination;
- Ultrasound of the neck;
- Fine needle aspiration biopsy, usually under ultrasound guidance;
- Blood draw for thyroid function;
- Chest x-ray;
- CT (not including iodography);
- Thyroid scan.
Thyroid cancer in children and adolescents, what are the symptoms?
Thyroid cancer in children and adolescents most commonly presents as a lump that is visible or palpable in the neck. These lumps may be a primary lesion in the thyroid gland or may be the result of metastases in the lymph nodes.
Thyroid cancer is usually painless and asymptomatic in its early stages. Most thyroid cancers are found during routine physical exams unless they are seen in the hospital because of the presence of a visible nodule in the neck.
Symptoms that may occur include unexplained and persistent hoarseness, dyspnea or shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, neck lumps, and abnormally large lymph nodes that do not return to normal over several months.
This article is from http://www.thyca.org网站, compiled by the Tencent Medical Dictionary medical team, and is used with permission.