[Primary Hypothyroidism subject of age: about 71 cases]

ABSTRACT

We report in this work a retrospective study of 71 patients older than 65 years who presented with primary hypothyroidism and were hospitalised. These patients represent 8.5% of all our hypothyroid patients. In our group, hypothyroidism was characterized by a female preponderance [72% of our cases] and by its atypical clinical presentation and the marked paucity of its clinical symptoms. The most frequent signs include physical asthenia [79%], weight increase [32%], cutaneo-mucosal signs [49.3%]. Anaemia and hyperlipidemia were the most frequent biological signs encountered [50% and 43% respectively] with hyponatremia found in 15% of the cases. Cardiovascular complications were present in 8 cases [11%]. A myxoedematous coma was present 3 patients [4%] and myopathy was seen in only one female patient. The aetiologies in our elderly patients were mainly auto-immune thyroiditis found in 74,6% of the cases and post-radiation hypothyroidism in 18.3%. Substitutive treatment was started during hospitalisation and the patients had thereafter a clinical and electrocardiographic follow-up to avoid ischemic coronary complications. The mean substitutive dose of L-thyroxine was 166 micro g/day