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ABSTRACT
Endemic goiter and iodine deficiency is an important public health problem parti-cularly in some areas of Turkey as it has been all over the world. We intended to evaluate this problem in Kayseri, where the goiter is endemic. 128 students aged between 10-13 years and 71 adults aged more than 15 years who were living in a rural area of Kayseri were included in the study. Thyroid gland was evaluated with physical examination and ultrasonography (USG), blood samples were drawn to assess the levels of free T3 (fT3), free T4 (fT4), TSH, thyroglobulin (Tg), anti-microsomal antibody (anti-M) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) and spot urine samples were collected from all participants. Goiter prevalence was 54.8% with palpation and 48.7% with ultrasonography. Thyroid volumes were higher in females than males both in students and adults. fT3 levels were normal or slightly higher, fT4 levels were normal or slightly lower, TSH levels were high and thyroglobulin levels were extremely high. Mean urinary iodine level was 11.1± 6.1 mg/dl and in 53.3% of the participants urinary iodine levels were below the normal level (10 mg/dl). Median urinary iodine level was 9.54 mg/dl indicating mild iodine deficiency. In conclusion despite the high prevalence of goiter, median urinary iodine level was relatively high suggesting that measurement techniques of iodine level may affect the result. According to chronic iodine deficiency parameter such as thyroglobulin (Tg), it is obvious that the people living at this endemic area need iodine prophylaxis.
Endemic goiter and iodine deficiency is an important public health problem parti-cularly in some areas of Turkey as it has been all over the world. We intended to evaluate this problem in Kayseri, where the goiter is endemic. 128 students aged between 10-13 years and 71 adults aged more than 15 years who were living in a rural area of Kayseri were included in the study. Thyroid gland was evaluated with physical examination and ultrasonography (USG), blood samples were drawn to assess the levels of free T3 (fT3), free T4 (fT4), TSH, thyroglobulin (Tg), anti-microsomal antibody (anti-M) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) and spot urine samples were collected from all participants. Goiter prevalence was 54.8% with palpation and 48.7% with ultrasonography. Thyroid volumes were higher in females than males both in students and adults. fT3 levels were normal or slightly higher, fT4 levels were normal or slightly lower, TSH levels were high and thyroglobulin levels were extremely high. Mean urinary iodine level was 11.1± 6.1 mg/dl and in 53.3% of the participants urinary iodine levels were below the normal level (10 mg/dl). Median urinary iodine level was 9.54 mg/dl indicating mild iodine deficiency. In conclusion despite the high prevalence of goiter, median urinary iodine level was relatively high suggesting that measurement techniques of iodine level may affect the result. According to chronic iodine deficiency parameter such as thyroglobulin (Tg), it is obvious that the people living at this endemic area need iodine prophylaxis.