Thyroidectomy in Children at Louga Regional Hospital: A Study of 18 Cases

Introduction: Thyroid disorders are the second most common endocrine condition after diabetes mellitus, affecting approximately 5% of the global population. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 800 million individuals suffer from goitre, with a prevalence rate of 22.9%. The objective of this study was to analyse the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic profiles of thyroidectomies in paediatric patients at Louga Regional Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted over a four-year period, from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2020. Results: The mean age of the patients was 11.78 years, with extremes ranging from 6 to 15 years. The most affected age group was 11 to 15 years, accounting for 13 cases (72.22%). All patients were female (100%). The primary indication for surgery was multinodular goitre, which accounted for 9 cases (50% of surgical indications), followed by Graves’ disease in 8 patients (44.44%). Histopathological analysis of the surgical specimens revealed that, of the 18 thyroidectomies performed, 10 patients (55.56%) had their histological examination completed, with 2 cases of malignancy identified. Two cases (11.11%) of laryngeal dyspnoea were noted upon awakening and one case (5.56%) of dysphonia. Conclusion: Paediatric thyroid surgery is less frequent but characterised by narrower anatomical structures, particularly the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which is finer compared to adults.