Author/Authors :
Moayeri, H Department of Pediatric Endocrinology - Imam Khomeini Hospital - School of Medicine - Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Haghshenas, Z Department of Pediatric Endocrinology - Imam Khomeini Hospital - School of Medicine - Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Abstract :
Goiter is common among growing children and adolescents but thyrotoxicosis is a rare thyroid disorder in
this age group. This study was undertaken to determine
the prevalence of thyrotoxicosis and clinical presentation
of the disease among children and adolescents 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) had 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 feauture 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.
