Thyrotoxicosis in an Ethiopian teaching hospital

Between August 1986 and July 1989, a total of 70 patients (M:F = 1:6) with thyrotoxicosis were prospectively studied at a weekly endocrine clinic of Tikur Anbessa Teaching Hospital (T.A.H.) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 39 patients (55.7%) had Graves' hyperthyroidism, 20 (28.6%) had toxic multinodular goitre while the rest had toxic adenoma (7.1%), Jodbasedow phenomenon (5.7%) and thyroiditis (2.9%). The mean age was 29.4 +/- 9.8 years for Graves' cases and 48.0 +/- 10.9 years for toxic multinodular goitre cases. The clinical presentation was similar to the ones already known and all responded to propylthiouracil therapy. Two Graves' cases, however, had discordant hypothyroxinaemia and hypertriiodothyroninaemia while on therapy. Eight patients underwent subtotal thyroidectomy of whom 1 became hypothyroid 1 year later while 6 remained euthyroid 2 1/2 years after surgery; the other patient did not return subsequently. The result of this study shows that thyrotoxicosis is not as rare as it was previously thought.