Aetiological profile of overt hypothyroidism in Indian population

We analysed the aetiology of hypothyroidism in 144 patients. In these hospital referral data, thyroid surgery and decompensated iodine deficiency were the major known causes of hypothyroidism (19.5% and 15.3% respectively), while in the majority of patients (45.14%) the aetiology was obscure. The idiopathic group had patients who were significantly younger (p less than 0.01), showed a gland size between 2 and 3 SD ranges in significantly higher preponderance (p less than 0.05), and presented with generally higher prevalence rates of signs and symptoms; however, only menstrual disturbances (p less than 0.01), loss/reduced appetite (p less than 0.01) and dry/thickened hair (p less than 0.25) reached statistical significance. Since hypothyroidism has definite and substantial morbidity, these results are of importance to public health and medical personnel for a Bayesian approach to the aetiological diagnosis of hypothyroidism and for ordering specific confirmatory laboratory investigations.