Clinical Presentations of Acquired Hypothyroidism in Children: Experience in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Mymensingh Med J. 2022 Oct;31(4):1077-1083.

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted in Paediatric Endocrine Outpatient Department of BIRDEM General Hospital, a tertiary care centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh among patients diagnosed with acquired hypothyroidism during the period of January 2012 to December 2016. The study was done to find out the clinical presentations and associated disorders of all patients diagnosed with acquired hypothyroidism during the study period. Data were obtained by reviewing the medical records of the patients. Total 277 children were diagnosed of having thyroid disorders. Among them 145(52.3%) had acquired hypothyroidism. The commonest clinical presentations of children with acquired hypothyroidism were short stature (35.0%), excessive weight gain (31.5%), goiter (23.1%) and poor school performance (14.0%). Autoimmune hypothyroidism was found in 34.4% of children, sub-clinical hypothyroidism in 27.5% children and positive family history was found in 15.2% children with acquired hypothyroidism. The common associated diseases were diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (4.9%), Down syndrome (3.5%), congenital heart disease (2.1%) and primary adrenal insufficiency (1.4%).

MeSH terms

  • Bangladesh / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypothyroidism* / diagnosis
  • Hypothyroidism* / epidemiology
  • Hypothyroidism* / etiology
  • Tertiary Care Centers
  • Thyroid Diseases*