Follicular carcinoma in a 9-year-old child: A case report and review of literature

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is rare in children and is mostly of the papillary carcinoma histologically. Follicular carcinoma constitutes 10-20% of all primary thyroid cancers with the age peak at the fourth and fifth decades. Iodine deficiency appears to be the main contributing factor for follicular carcinoma because iodine supplementation to the diet has been associated with a decline in the incidence of this tumor in iodine-deficient areas. A 9-year-old female patient who was under treatment for hypothyroidism presented with a single thyroid nodule, which on fine needle aspiration cytology, a cytologic diagnosis of follicular neoplasm was made. A histological diagnosis of minimally invasive follicular carcinoma was done after subtotal thyroidectomy. This case was presented with review of the literature.