MORBIDITY OF TOTAL THYROIDECTOMY IN CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS LESS-THAN 15 YEARS OF AGE

In the MEN II (Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia) setting, genetic screenin g is currently available with a 98 % reliability. Therefore, total thy roidectomy has been recommended as early as at 3 years of age for gene -carriers. A nationwide retrospective survey has been conducted over 5 years, dealing with 107 cases of total thyroidectomy in patients less than 15 years of age to assess the morbidity of this kind of surgery. Currently, permanent morbidity (recurrent nerve palsy and hypocalcemi a) amounts to 1 and 1 % of cases respectively. It is observed only whe n node clearance is deemed to be mandatory. Mortality was zero. In pub lished series (4 overall, from 1972 through 1995), rates seemed to be more important : 11 and 13 % respectively, with 1 % mortality. These n umbers relate to surgery with advanced cancers, often locally invasive . Prophylactic total thyroidectomy morbidity draws near the results of our study. These numbers can argue for the interest of a ''prophylact ic'' total thyroidectomy, before advanced thyroid disease, as a treatm ent for MTC gene-carriers children and teenagers.