Search

Background: Iodine is essential for biosynthesis of thyroid hormones and daily iodine intake needs are increased during pregnancy. Thyroid dysfunctions (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism) are due to autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto's disease, Graves' disease) in most women of childbearing age. During pregnancy they are associated with maternal and fetal complications: maternal hypothyroxinemia during the first trimester of gestation can be associated with abnormal cognitive development and intellectual outcomes in the newborn and the children. In patients with Graves' disease, TSH-receptor antibodies cross the placenta and can induce fetal and neonatal dysfunctions., Objectives: In order to prevent maternal and fetal complications and ameliorate the pronostic of thyroid disorders in pregnant women, the prevention should be: a systematic prophylaxis of iodine deficiency in pregnant women; an adjustment of the preconception levothyroxine treatment in women with hypothyroidism diagnosed before the pregnancy; a targeted screening for maternal hypothyroidism in high-risk women; a rational measurement for TSH-receptor and anti-thyroperoxydase antibodies in some women with autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Introduction: Echinococcus granulosus, responsible for hydatidosis, most often lodges in the liver and lungs, but is found in other organs of the body in 10% of cases., Case: A painless, left cervical tumefaction suddenly developed in a 28-year-old Portuguese man. After thyroid lobectomy with isthmusectomy, the pathology findings led to the diagnosis of hydatidosis., Discussion: The thyroid is a rare location for a hydatid cyst. Diagnosis can be difficult and fine-needle aspiration cytology is not usually helpful. Treatment requires surgical excision, and administration of benzimidazole derivatives to prevent recurrence.

The WHO program to combat iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) adopted in 1992 required countries producing cooking and table salt to add 50-100 ppm of iodine to salt. This program was adopted in Cameroon, but problems remain in ensuring adequate conditioning of the iodized salt at the factories to maintain the iodine levels so that consumers take in the required quantity. This study collected and analyzed five groups of salt samples from three provinces of Cameroon. Each group included a specimen from its factory, wholesalers, retailers, and households. Iodine content was measured by the volumetric method. The results showed that iodine levels in salt decreased substantially between the factory and the consumer; percentages of iodine loss in these samples varied from 44.8% to 82.3%. Iodine levels were highest in fine-grained salt. Iodine concentration also decreases after storage, perhaps as a function of the type and duration of the storage, temperature, packaging material and presence of impurities in salt. This study shows that even salt with an initial high iodine concentration may reach consumers with insufficient levels for daily needs.

In a continuous series of 3836 patients over 60 years old, 24.1% have abnormal tests, 1.28% present hyperthyroidism and 1.98% hypothyroidism. Screening with TSH alone and T4 if abnormality, appears as the most helpful and costless method in order to detect thyroid dysfunction in hospitalised elderly patients.

1. An insufficient dietary supply of iodine results in the development of a variety of disorders of thyroid function and development of the fetus and young infants, grouped under the general heading of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, IDD. Endemic goiter constitutes the most spectacular disorder from the clinical and epidemiological point of view. However, the most serious consequence of iodine deficiency is the impact on neuro-intellectual development at a population level, varying from endemic mental retardation to the complete picture of endemic cretinism. 2. Considering that mental retardation due to iodine deficiency represents the longterm consequence of hypothyroidism occurring during the perinatal period, it is presently recognized that the target groups to the effects of iodine deficiency at a population level are, by order of priority, the fetus, the newborn, the pregnant woman, the child and, finally, the adult. 3. The newborn is more susceptible than the adult to the effects of iodine deficiency. Consequently, systematic screening for congenital hypothyroidism in endemic areas is a particularly sensitive index for detecting the presence and action of goitrogens in the environment and for monitoring the effects of programs of iodine prophylaxis. 4. IDD are particularly prevalent in developing countries. However, large areas or even countries in Europe are still obviously iodine deficient. For example, the iodine intake in adults in Belgium is 50 to 70 micrograms/day which is lower than the recommended dietary allowance for iodine (at least 100 micrograms/day). 5. IDD should be corrected on a world scale, including in Europe. Special attention should be devoted to the protection of mother and child. Within this framework, the iodine content of formula milk should be increased in Europe. 6. Finally, correction of iodine deficiency in Europe would decrease the avidity of the thyroid for iodide and, consequently, would constitute the most efficient preventive measure in case of nuclear fallout.

A study was carried out at Hôpital Boucicaut to determine the incidence of iatrogenic biological thyroid dysfunction in patients treated for cancer of the upper digestive and respiratory tracts, and to define the risk profile (tumor localisations, practical therapeutical procedures). Two studies were conducted: a prospective on including 18 patients and a retrospective one including 58 patients. Only partial results are currently available. They permit emphasizing the frequency of biological thyroid dysfunction associated both with combination surgical and radiotherapeutical regimens and radiotherapy or radiotherapy alone for the treatment of lesions of the piriform sinus, although they fail to provide conclusive evidence regarding the real frequency of this type pathology or the time of its occurrence.