Pediatric Services at the Columbia Thyroid Center

For children and their families dealing with thyroid disease, the Columbia Thyroid Center offers a healthcare team of pediatric endocrinologists, thyroid surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, oncologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists, and geneticists who coordinate to create comprehensive treatment plans specifically attuned to your needs.

The pediatric program at the Columbia Thyroid Center is the premier program of its kind in New York, one of the top programs nationwide, and among the most respected worldwide. We are proud to be a treatment destination for parents and children from all across the globe.

From diagnosing thyroid disorders using thyroid function tests, anti-thyroid antibodies, imaging tests, and biopsies, to developing personalized treatment plans that includes everything from medication to surgery to genetic counseling, the pediatric program at the Columbia Thyroid Center offers a multidisciplinary approach tailored to every child.

To make an appointment for our pediatric thyroid services, please call (212) 342-2343.

Why Choose Us for Your Child's Care?

A Team Approach

A key strength of the Pediatric Thyroid Center is our interdisciplinary team. Our thyroid specialists and other experts regularly see children with all types of thyroid disorders, and we communicate with each other about your child's care. This interdisciplinary approach is challenging to find elsewhere. Your child's healthcare team includes:

  • Pediatric endocrinologists (medical doctors who specialize in the assessment and treatment of hormonal disorders)
  • Pediatric Surgeons who specialize in thyroid biopsy and surgery and who have exceptional experience conducting thyroid surgery
  • Radiologists and nuclear medicine specialists with experience analyzing pediatric imaging studies
  • Pediatric Anesthesiologists who provide compassionate care for children and their parents, who may feel anxious about surgery
  • Pathologists and cytopathologists who are experts in the interpretation of biopsy results
  • Pediatric cancer specialists with experience caring for young patients with thyroid cancer
  • Pediatric ophthalmologists, who care for children's eye issues
  • Pediatric neurologists
  • Genetic specialists

We partner with your child's primary care physician to ensure that your child gets the very best care. 

An International Reputation

Each year, our Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism has nearly 8,000 patient visits. Parents from across the nation seek our expertise because of our leadership in the identification and implementation of effective treatments for hormonal disorders. 

National and Local Recognition

We are consistently the highest ranked Pediatric Endocrinology program in New York and one of the best in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Children’s Hospitals." Our doctors have been named in Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors, New York magazine's "Best Doctors" listing, and the New York Times magazine's "Super Doctors" listing.

A Commitment to Research

A central mission of the Pediatric Thyroid Center is to advance the care of thyroid diseases in children. When clinically relevant, our patients have the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial of a new treatment.

Our Services

Diagnostic Testing

We provide all the tests needed to comprehensively evaluate your child's thyroid gland. Examples include:

  • Tests of thyroid function: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (free T4), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroglobulin, and calcitonin.
  • Tests for anti-thyroid antibodies: TSH-receptor antibodies and anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies to help diagnose immune-mediated thyroid disease.
  • Imaging tests: Ultrasound, CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine tests such as radioactive iodine scanning to assess thyroid size and function and to characterize thyroid nodules.
  • Biopsy: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy to obtain a tissue sample to be analyzed. We provide an efficient and well-organized process with anesthesia support to perform biopsies and surgery in a setting that is nurturing and is not frightening.

Personalized Treatment

After assessment of your child's thyroid, we customize a plan of care tailored to his or her needs. Depending on the diagnosis, your child's care may include:

  • Medication: Our pediatric endocrinologists can prescribe thyroid hormone or other medications to treat your child's condition.
  • Surgery: For many children with thyroid nodules or cancer, surgery will be part of their treatment. Our surgeons have extensive experience conducting thyroid surgery and work with pediatric anesthesiologists in a children's hospital setting to provide care designed just for kids. Studies show that surgeons who perform a high volume of these procedures have fewer complications.
  • Radioactive iodine: This is sometimes used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for our patients with thyroid cancer.

Conditions We Treat

Our Team

William Middlesworth, MD, Surgical Director of the Pediatric Thyroid Center, has exceptional experience in surgery for infants and children. Areas of expertise: thyroid and parathyroid surgery, thyroid biopsy, surgery for pediatric endocrine tumors, newborn and minimal access surgery.
Phone: (212) 342-8585 | Fax: (877) 316-6162

Patricia Vuguin, MD, Medical Director of the Pediatric Thyroid Center, has specialized experience caring for children and adolescents with thyroid disorders. Areas of expertise: congenital hypothyroidism,  acquired hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, functioning and nonfunctioning thyroid nodules, papillary thyroid cancer, abnormal thyroid function, thyroid transport defects, multiple endocrine neoplasia.
Phone: (212) 305-6559 | Fax: (212) 305-4778

Gaya S. Aranoff, MD | Endocrinologist
Ilene Fennoy, MD | Endocrinologist
Jennifer Kuo, MD, FACS | Thyroid Surgeon
James Lee, MD | Thyroid Surgeon
Alejandro Daniel Iglesias, MD | Geneticist
Randy Yeh, MD | Nuclear Medicine Specialist
Steven Brooks, MD | Eye Specialist
Alice Lee, MD | Cancer Specialist
Darrell Yamashiro, MD | Cancer Specialist

Contact Us

For any questions or to request an appointment , please contact us at (212) 342-2343.