OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration and nodule nature in pediatric patients with thyroid nodules, with the aim of identifying a marker able to differentiate benign and malignant nodules. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective analysis of serum TSH concentrations in a multicentric case series of 125 pediatric patients with benign and malignant thyroid nodules. RESULTS: Of the 125 patients, 99 had benign thyroid nodules and 26 had differentiated thyroid cancer (24 papillary and 2 follicular). Final diagnosis was based on surgery in 57 cases and on a benign cytology plus clinical follow-up in 68 cases. Serum TSH concentration was significantly higher in patients with thyroid cancer compared with those with benign nodules (3.23 ± 1.59 mU/L vs 1.64 ± 0.99 mU/L; P < .001). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that serum TSH was the sole predictor of malignancy (P < .001). Dividing the patient cohort into 5 groups based on serum TSH quintiles (TSH cutoffs 0.40, 1.00, 1.50, 1.80, and 2.80 mU/L), we observed that cancer prevalence increased in parallel with serum TSH (P < .001), with respective rates of 0%, 4%, 16%, 32%, and 52% in the 5 quintile groups. CONCLUSION: Because cases with malignant nodules are most likely seen in the upper normal serum TSH range (ie, >2.8 mU/L), serum TSH concentration can serve as a predictor of thyroid cancer in pediatric patients with thyroid nodules and can inform the decision of when to submit patients to further investigation by cytology.
Serum Thyrotropin Concentration in Children with Isolated Thyroid Nodules.
WASNIEWSKA, Malgorzata Gabriela;DE LUCA, Filippo;
2013-01-01
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration and nodule nature in pediatric patients with thyroid nodules, with the aim of identifying a marker able to differentiate benign and malignant nodules. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective analysis of serum TSH concentrations in a multicentric case series of 125 pediatric patients with benign and malignant thyroid nodules. RESULTS: Of the 125 patients, 99 had benign thyroid nodules and 26 had differentiated thyroid cancer (24 papillary and 2 follicular). Final diagnosis was based on surgery in 57 cases and on a benign cytology plus clinical follow-up in 68 cases. Serum TSH concentration was significantly higher in patients with thyroid cancer compared with those with benign nodules (3.23 ± 1.59 mU/L vs 1.64 ± 0.99 mU/L; P < .001). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that serum TSH was the sole predictor of malignancy (P < .001). Dividing the patient cohort into 5 groups based on serum TSH quintiles (TSH cutoffs 0.40, 1.00, 1.50, 1.80, and 2.80 mU/L), we observed that cancer prevalence increased in parallel with serum TSH (P < .001), with respective rates of 0%, 4%, 16%, 32%, and 52% in the 5 quintile groups. CONCLUSION: Because cases with malignant nodules are most likely seen in the upper normal serum TSH range (ie, >2.8 mU/L), serum TSH concentration can serve as a predictor of thyroid cancer in pediatric patients with thyroid nodules and can inform the decision of when to submit patients to further investigation by cytology.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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