SPECIAL ARTICLES

Apuntes

SPECIAL ARTICLES Management Guidelines for Children with Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer The American Thyroid Association Guidelines Task Force on Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Gary L. Francis, 1, * Steven G. Waguespack, 2, * Andrew J. Bauer, 3,4, * Peter Angelos, 5 Salvatore Benvenga, 6 Janete M. Cerutti, 7 Catherine A. Dinauer, 8 Jill Hamilton, 9 Ian D. Hay, 10 Markus Luster, 11,12 Marguerite T. Parisi, 13 Marianna Rachmiel, 14,15 Geoffrey B. Thompson, 16 and Shunichi Yamashita 17 Background: Previous guidelines for the management of thyroid nodules and cancers were geared toward adults. Compared with thyroid neoplasms in adults, however, those in the pediatric population exhibit differ- ences in pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and long-term outcomes. Furthermore, therapy that may be recommended for an adult may not be appropriate for a child who is at low risk for death but at higher risk for long-term harm from overly aggressive treatment. For these reasons, unique guidelines for children and ado- lescents with thyroid tumors are needed. Methods: A task force commissioned by the American Thyroid Association (ATA) developed a series of clinically relevant qu...