Related Experiment Videos
Correlation between age, body size and thyroid volume in an endemic area
1Department of Health, Culture and Sports, Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey. ender@med.akdeniz.edu.tr
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation
|November 1, 2001
Summary
Ultrasound accurately measures thyroid volume in children. Age is the most reliable factor for assessing thyroid size and identifying enlarged thyroids in iodine-deficient areas.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Pediatrics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Ultrasound offers a precise, non-invasive method for thyroid volume assessment, superior to palpation, especially in mild endemic goiter areas.
- Thyroid volume typically correlates with anthropometric factors like age, weight, height, and body surface area (BSA) in non-iodine-deficient populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine thyroid volumes using ultrasound in school children residing in Antalya, a mild to moderate iodine-deficient region.
- To investigate the correlation between thyroid volume and various somatic parameters including age, BSA, height, weight, and BMI.
- To evaluate the prevalence of enlarged thyroids using International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) and World Health Organization (WHO) reference values.
Main Methods:
- Ultrasound measurements of thyroid volume were conducted on 605 school children aged 6-11 years.
- Correlational analysis was performed between thyroid volume and age, BSA, height, weight, and BMI.
- Thyroid volume reference standards from ICCIDD and WHO were applied to estimate the prevalence of enlarged thyroids.
Main Results:
- Thyroid volume showed significant positive correlations with age (r=0.41), height (r=0.33), weight (r=0.30), BSA (r=0.33), and BMI (r=0.13).
- Age exhibited the strongest correlation with thyroid volume among the assessed parameters.
- Using ICCIDD/WHO references, enlarged thyroid prevalence was estimated at 31% based on BSA and 34% based on age.
Conclusions:
- Age is the most reliable parameter for assessing thyroid volume and comparing it with reference values in children with normal somatic development in iodine-deficient areas.
- Ultrasound is a valuable tool for objective thyroid volume assessment in pediatric populations.
- Findings highlight the importance of age-adjusted reference ranges for accurate diagnosis of thyroid enlargement in specific geographic regions.