Spectrum of Paediatric Thyroid Disorders at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30442/ahr.1101-09-273Keywords:
Congenital hypothyroidism, Down syndrome, Endocrine disorders, Graves’ disease, Thyroid glandAbstract
Background: Thyroid disorders contribute significantly to paediatric endocrine referrals. This is unsurprising, as adequate thyroid function is important for children's optimal physical and neurocognitive development. Identifying the spectrum of thyroid disorders and the most common ones is important for planning and defining health policies.
Objectives: To describe the spectrum and clinical features of paediatric thyroid disorders at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
Methods: A retrospective review of medical records of children aged 0 to 17 years referred for thyroid disorders between March 2017 and October 2023 was carried out. Information extracted from the records included age, gender, weight, height, diagnosis, and clinical features for analysis.
Results: A total of 44,324 and 505 (15%) children were seen at the Paediatric Outpatient and Endocrinology Clinics, respectively, during the study period. Seventy-six (15.0%) of the 505 children were diagnosed with thyroid disorders. The male-to-female ratio was 0.8:1, and 22 (28.9%) of the children evaluated were infants. Congenital hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease were recorded in 28 (36.8%) and 15 (19.7%) of the cases, respectively. Eleven (39.3%) of the children with congenital hypothyroidism had features of Down syndrome.
Conclusion: The incidence of thyroid disorders in the paediatric general outpatient clinic was 1.7 per 1000 new cases, and 15% of paediatric endocrine cases had thyroid disorders. Thyroid disorders were twice as likely to affect females, and one-third of our patients were referred to the clinic before their first birthday. Congenital hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease were the leading types of thyroid disorders recorded.
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