The spectrum of thyroid disorders at the Endocrine Clinic of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, South-west, Nigeria

Background:Thyroid disorders constitute the second most common endocrine disordersworldwide, butthey are less commonly researched in thisenvironmentdue to low cost-effectiveness.Objective:Tostudy thespectrumofthyroid disordersat the EndocrinologyClinic ofa tertiary health facility in Sagamu, South-west, Nigeria,over two years.Method:Thisretrospectivestudywas conducted onallnewclinic attendees with thyroid disordersbetweenJanuary 2016 andDecember 2017.The data retrieved included clinicaldata,results of thyroid function tests and thyroid ultrasonographic scan.The patients weregroupedclinically into euthyroid, hypothyroid and thyrotoxicstates.Results:A total of 93 thyroid caseswereseen, and this constituted13.64% ofallnewendocrine consultations (682 patients).Themean age(±SD; range)of the patients was 37.6 (13.6; 15-78)years.Majority of the patients were females witha female-to-maleratio of 4.5:1.Out of these,77.4% hadGoitrous enlargement.Thyrotoxicosis wasthe most commonform of thyroid dysfunction,(72; 77.40%), mainly duetohyperthyroidism from Graves'disease(50; 69.44%),followed by toxic multinodular goitre (12; 16.67%),toxic solitary nodular goiter (5; 6.94%) andothers (5; 6.95 %).Hypothyroidism constituted 10.75%while euthyroid goitre constituted 11.85% of all thyroid cases.Conclusion:Auto-immune thyroiddisease remains the most common thyroid disorder amongendocrineclinicattendees. There isa needfor furtherstudies to elucidatethe likely aetiologies

Thyrotoxicosis - a Review

"Background: Thyrotoxicosis is the clinical and biochemical manifestations of exposure of tissues to excessive quantities of thyroid hormones; specifically free thyroxine (T4 ); tri-iodothyronine (T3) or both. The terms ""thyrotoxicosis""; ""hyperthyroidism"" and ""Graves' disease"" are used interchangeably because hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease is the commonest cause of thyrotoxicosis. Studies in most countries reveal an increasing incidence of thyrotoxicosis. Aim: To present an update on the causes and management of thyrotoxicosis with emphasis on Graves' disease. Methods: A review of publications obtained from medline search and Google on ""thyrotoxicosis"" or ""Graves' disease"" or ""hyperthyroidism"" was done. Results: Graves' disease constitutes about 70of cases of thyrotoxicosis.The common clinical features include weight loss despite enhanced appetite; hyperactivity and heat intolerance etc. Features specific to Graves' disease include ophthalmopathy; pretibial myxoedema and thyroid acropachy. Thyrotoxicosis affects about 1of women and 0.1of men globally. It is indicated in most cases by an elevated serum concentration of total T4 and T3 and a suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Thyroid imaging and radiotracer uptake measurements combined with serological data enable specific aetiological diagnosis. The three treatment modalites for Graves' disease are antithyroid drugs; 131I therapy and thyroidectomy. Conclusion: The incidence of thyrotoxicosis is increasing globally. Optimal clinical and laboratory evaluation of the patient is necessary to identify the cause and institute appropriate therapy. There is need for prospective studies to identify the factors for the observed increasing incidence of thyrotoxicosis in our population"