Tinea capitis attained epidemical proportions in the fifth and sixth decades in Portugal, as in other countries. Before starting the utilization of
griseofulvin in 1959, the best approach to treat
tinea capitis infection was X-ray scalp
epilation combined with topical antimycotic
ointments. A long-term side effect of this
therapy is
thyroid disease, namely
thyroid cancer; data on parathyroid lesions (
hyperplasia,
adenoma and
carcinoma) are scarce. We observed clinically 1,375 individuals irradiated in childhood for
tinea capitis treatment in the North of Portugal with the main purpose of evaluating thyroid and parathyroid tumours as possible sequelae of the irradiation treatment. For each individual, a cervical ultrasound and a serum
calcium measurement were proposed. Fine needle aspiration cytology was suggested whenever ultrasound
thyroid nodules presented suspicious features. We observed a 54 % frequency of
thyroid nodules and a 2.8 % frequency of
thyroid carcinoma (38/1,375). Nineteen of the 38 (50 %)
carcinomas were diagnosed by us, whereas the remaining 19
carcinomas had been diagnosed and treated prior to our observation. The
carcinomas were significantly more frequent in women than in men. Benign excised lesions were also significantly more frequent in women and in patients irradiated at younger ages. Seven women, considered asymptomatic until our clinical observation, had laboratory signs of
hyperparathyroidism. The data we have obtained, namely high
thyroid cancer frequency, corroborate previous data from childhood irradiated cohorts and highlight the need for the close follow-up of these populations in order to identify and treat early undiagnosed head and neck lesions. No evidence of increased
parathyroid disease was found in this cohort of head and neck X-irradiated patients.