Risk factors and rates for hypocalcemia after pediatric thyroidectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OTO Open, 2025
This systematic review analyzed 67 studies encompassing 7,331 pediatric patients to assess hypocalcemia rates following total thyroidectomy (TT). Pooled incidence rates were 25.2% for transient, 7.4% for permanent, and 32.1% for any hypocalcemia. Risk was significantly higher in patients with malignancy, Graves' disease, or those undergoing lymph node dissection. These findings highlight hypocalcemia as a common and clinically important complication in pediatric TT.
Recommended citation: Aweeda M, Fassler C, Habib DRS, Miller AB, Ortega C, Prasad K, Chen CL, Lopez M, Duffus SH, Belcher RH. Risk factors and rates for hypocalcemia after pediatric thyroidectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. OTO Open. 2025;9(2):e70130. doi:10.1002/oto2.70130