"Prevalence of Thyrotoxicosis: Clinical presentation and results of treatment in 384 patients with Goiter under 18 years "

Abstract

Goiter is common among growing children and adolescents but thyrotoxicosis is a rare thyroid disorder in this age prevalence of thyrotoxicosis and clinical presentation in prevalence of thyrotoxicosis and clinical presentation of the disease among children and adolescents of the disease among children and adolescents presenting for goiter at the clinics of pediatric presenting for goiter at the clinics of pediatric Endocrinology of Tehran and Iran University of medical sciences and private offices. In a retrospective study the medical records of 424 patients with goiter were studied of whom 384 (285F, 99M) and goiter and records available for review. All patients were examined by pediatric endocrinologist and their goiters were classified according to WHO criteria. Total T4, TSH, T3 and T3RU were measured. Out of the 384 cases that were diagnosed as goiter, 320 were euthyroid (83.4%), 49 were hypothyroid (12.7%) and 15 were hyperthyroid (3.9%). Ninety-three percent of the hyperthyroid patients had graves’ disease and seven percent of them had toxic adenoma. The most common presenting feature in thyrotoxic patients was goiter. Sustained remission with medical treatment alone was attained in 46% with a mean treatment duration of 2.9 years. The comparison was made between the findings of this study and those of western countries indicating that the incidence of hyperthyroidism in Iranian pediatric population is not as high as in North America but is higher than in Europe. Clinical presentation, response to treatment and etiologic causes of the disease in our study was similar to other studies.