A study on the aetiology of endemic goitre in lowland Burma

The prevalence and aetiology of lowland endemic goitre was studied in Bawlle Village, Htan-ta-bin Township, Rangoon Division. The total goitre rate was found to be 40.9 per cent. Low urinary iodine excretion and high 24-h uptake of 131I by the thyroids of the subjects indicated iodine deficiency which was further confirmed by direct chemical analysis of diet samples. The serum thiocyanate level of non-smokers from this area was found to be low, which indicates that dietary goitrogens do not appear to play a role in the aetiology of endemic goitre in this area. The iodine content of water was also very low and the iodine content of soil was also about 10 times lower than soil samples from urban Rangoon. Thus, the present study indicates that the aetiology of endemic goitre in lowland Burma is due to environmental iodine deficiency, the same aetiological factor as in hilly regions of Burma.