[Epidemiology of goiter in Auvergne]

An epidemiological study about goiter, related to the French national survey concerning school children aged 10-16, was carried out in region Auvergne. The prevalence of goiter was 12.52%, including 2.8% patients with WHO stages I and II, thus being slightly below national average (16.7%). Iodine urinary excretion was 62.9 +/- 34.3 micrograms per gram creatinine (French mean value 85.0), although sometimes major variation was noted in the same area. Later, two studies were performed in adults, in two places of Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme, respectively Arsac-en-Velay and Besse-en-Chandesse. Both places were selected because of high frequency of goiter in children. Prevalence in adults was 16.1% in Arsac-en-Velay including 12.5% stages I and II, and 8.9% in Besse-en-Chandesse including 5.9% stages I and II. Mean iodine urinary excretion was respectively 59.78 micrograms/gram creatinine and 43.45 micrograms/liter. Thus, these surveys confirm a significant prevalence of goiter in Region Auvergne, with endemic places, and a generally low iodine urinary excretion.