Objective: To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment processes of patients who underwent surgery due to suspected malignancy or detection of RET proto-oncogene in the pediatric endocrinology clinic.

Material and Method: The data of 21 patients who underwent thyroidectomy in our center were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, laboratory and imaging results were examined. In addition, patient files were scanned in terms of the treatment protocol, surgical interventions, treatment complications, and pathology reports.

Results: Fourteen (66%) of the patients were female and seven (34%) were male. The mean age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 12.8 (±3.84). Pathology results revealed; papillary thyroid carcinoma in 13 (61%) patients (11 classical variants, one follicular variant, one diffuse sclerosing variant), two (9%) follicular thyroid cancer, and one (5%) poorly differentiated thyroid cancer. Neoplastic C-cell hyperplasia was found in two (9%) and colloid hyperplasia in two (9%) of the four patients who underwent prophylactic thyroidectomy due to family history. Apart from these, medullar thyroid carcinoma with thyroid capsule and lymph node metastases was detected in another patient (5%). Surgically, total thyroidectomy was performed in 10 patients, lymph node dissection with thyroidectomy in six patients, subtotal thyroidectomy in one patient, and lobectomy in four patients. Complementary surgery was performed in three patients with pathology results.

Conclusion: Suspicious cases should be evaluated rapidly due to the high risk of malignancy in this age group and should be approached as a multi-disciplinary approach in light of current guidelines.