Thyroid disease in children.

Among thyroid diseases occurring in children are congenital hypothyroidism, acquired hypothyroidism, Graves' disease, subacute thyroiditis and thyroid nodules. Evaluation for suspected hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism can be accomplished efficiently with a serum free thyroxine level and the new, highly sensitive thyroid-stimulating hormone assays. Rarely, measuring various thyroid antibody titers may be required to better define a particular thyroid disease. Solitary thyroid nodules in children occasionally represent malignancy. Evaluation of such lesions with radioisotope scanning and ultrasonography is helpful. In children, however, surgical excision is still required to definitively determine whether a nodule is malignant.