Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland in a child of thyrotoxicosis patient receiving radioactive iodine therapy: report of a

Abstract  Herein we present the case of a 9-year-old girl who had an enlarged right lobe of the thyroid gland and sub-clinical hypothyroidism
(thyroid stimulating hormone at 9.24 mIU/L). The patient had a history of unintentional exposure to radiation while her mother
was receiving radionuclide therapy for diffuse toxic goiter. Ultrasonography of the young girl showed right lobe enlargement
with diffuse coarse heterogenous echogenicity, compatible with a microcalcification pattern identified in both lobes of the
thyroid gland. Histopathology of the tissue from a thyroidectomy revealed papillary thyroid carcinoma in the right lobe and
chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis in the remaining tissue. Molecular pathology demonstrated an RET/PTC1 rearrangement in both tumor and non-tumorous tissue harboring thyroiditis. Considering the history of exposure and the characteristics
of the thyroid pathology together, the PTC in this patient was likely a secondary-to-genetic alteration induced by external
radiation. This case emphasizes the importance of stringent restrictions when giving radioactive iodine therapy to a patient
with small children.

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Case ReportDOI 10.1007/s00383-008-2151-7Authors
Surasak Sangkhathat, Prince of Songkla University Pediatric Surgery Unit and Tumor Biology Research Group, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Hatyai Songkhla 90110 ThailandSakda Patrapinyokul, Prince of Songkla University Pediatric Surgery Unit and Tumor Biology Research Group, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Hatyai Songkhla 90110 ThailandPiyawan Chiengkriwate, Prince of Songkla University Pediatric Surgery Unit and Tumor Biology Research Group, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Hatyai Songkhla 90110 ThailandSupika Kritsaneepaiboon, Prince of Songkla University Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Hatyai Songkhla 90110 ThailandKanita Kayasut, Prince of Songkla University Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Hatyai Songkhla 90110 ThailandTeerapol Pramphapa, Prince of Songkla University Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Hatyai Songkhla 90110 ThailandMatinee Maipang, Prince of Songkla University Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine Hatyai Songkhla 90110 Thailand

Journal Pediatric Surgery InternationalOnline ISSN 1437-9813Print ISSN 0179-0358 (Source: Pediatric Surgery International)