EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS EXPOSED TO CHILDHOOD HEAD AND NECK IRRADIATION

In the past, external radiation was frequently used to treat children who had benign conditions involving the chest, head, or neck. Only lat er was it recognized that this radiation exposure induces benign and m alignant thyroid neoplasms. Although external radiation is no longer u sed to treat benign conditions in childhood, the effects of earlier ra diation persist and previously exposed individuals remain at risk. Whi le the thyroid gland is the tissue most likely to develop neoplasia fo llowing radiation, hyperparathyroidism, benign and malignant salivary tumors, and benign neural tumors also are more frequent in patients ex posed to radiation. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the thyroi d gland in patients with a history of radiation exposure and reviews t he management and follow-up of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.