Zeitschrift für Schilddrüsenerkrankungen und -therapie
Offener Zugang
ISSN: 2167-7948
ISSN: 2167-7948
Shan Elahi, Saira Shan, Nazish Saleem, Nayab Batool Rizvi
Objectives: To determine frequency of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) associated thyroid swelling among local adolescents presenting with benign goiter.
Methods: Newly referred adolescents (age range 10-19 year) presenting with benign goiter (euthyroidism or subclinical hypothyroidism) was enrolled consecutively. Serum FT4 (normal range: 11.5–23.0 pmol/L), FT3 (normal range: 2.8–5.8 pmol/L) and TSH (normal range: 0.3–4.0 pmol/L) were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and TPO-Ab by ELISA technique. TPO-Ab titer >20.0 IU/ml was considered HT.
Results: A total of 277 goitrous adolescents (female 194, male 83) with were selected. Their mean (± SD) age was 15.8 + 2.5 years. Female and male adolescents were comparable in age, goiter size and serum thyroid hormone levels but mean TSH and percentage of TSH levels >3.0 mIU/L was significantly higher in male adolescents. HT was detected in 38 (13.7%) patients. The incidence of HT in female (16.5%) was higher than male adolescents (7.2%) but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.120). Similarly goiter size (palpable or visible) or patient age (below or above 16 year) has no significant effect on HT frequency. However, compared to adolescents with TSH within normal laboratory range those with TSH level above the upper normal limit (4.0 mIU/L) had significantly more frequency of HT (10.4% versus 30.4%; p=0.001).
Conclusion: Among local goitrous adolescents 13.7% had HT-associated thyroid swelling.