Patterns of urinary iodine excretion in a newly identified goitrous area of central Sicily

The results of a clinical survey, relative to goiter prevalence and carried out on 2,805 male and female subjects aged from 6 to 15 years, in five small towns in the province of Caltanissetta (Sicily), are reported. Along with clinical examinations, urinary iodine determinations were performed. The identification and classification of goiter have been carried out according to criteria suggested by WHO. Considering both sexes together, 33.6% of the children presented type 1 goiter, and 4.6% presented type 2. Goiter prevalence in the five areas studied appeared to be related to the differences in the iodine content of the various drinking waters. The patterns of urinary iodine excretion, expressed as I/C ratio and derived from determinations performed on 924 of the total number of subjects examined, are reported. An analysis of these data shows that the school population as a whole, in these endemic goitrous areas, presented I/C values significantly different between goiter subjects and non-goiter subjects.