Prevalence of thyroid diseases in two samples of Czech population. A preliminary study

Two preliminary pilot studies of prevalence of thyroid disorders in Central Bohemia (with mild endemy before the onset of iodine prophylaxis in 1948) were made: 1. Questionary survey of adult persons in Praha (1559 persons); 2. Clinical and laboratory investigation of 2015 employees of SKODA automobile works in Mladá Boleslav. Prevalence of thyroid disorders in Praha was 11.99%. In randomly selected subjects from Mladá Boleslav (evaluated in two periods after 10 years) the prevalence of clinically manifested thyroid disorders was 0.35% in men and 2.32% in women, respectively, the presence of positive titres of antithyroglobulin antibodies, varied from 2.43-6.11% of high titres and from 2.35 to 17.33% of low titres. However, the prevalence of goiter was markedly higher than expected, since diffuse goitre was found in 8.36% of men and in 11.34% of women. Even more striking was the prevalence of nodular goitre which was 5.59% in men and 22.96% in women thus making the total goitre prevalence of 13.95% in men and 34.30% in women. In addition, an unfavourable increase of prevalence of nodular goitre was found in younger women in comparison with older group. These results, although preliminary, pointed out the necessity of further more extensive and intensive studies of prevalence of thyroid disorders and of methodology of iodine prophylaxis.