ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and investigatory profile of children with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) presenting to the thyroid clinic of a referral children's hospital and study the course of children diagnosed as HT over a period of 6 mo. METHODS: Children aged 5-12 y with HT were recruited, their clinical and biochemical details were assessed and were started on standard therapy and followed up for a period of 6 mo. RESULTS: Ninety-seven children (89 goitrous and 8 atrophic form) with mean age: 9.90 ± 1.76 y; M:F 1:5.4 were recruited; 55.7 % were asymptomatic;14.2 % had familial clustering. The mean height, weight and BMI for age Z-scores were -1.0 ± 1.0, -0.8 ± 0.9 and -0.5 ± 1.1 respectively. 16.4 % had short stature; 4.1 % had obesity; 72.2 % had grade 2 goitre. 73.4 %, 13.2 %, 10.3 % and 3.1 % had overt hypothyroidism, sub-clinical hypothyroidism, euthyroidism and hyperthyroidism, respectively. On follow up, 38.5 % of euthyroid and 80 % of sub-clinical hypothyroid children developed overt hypothyroidism. Thyrotoxic symptoms resolved in all three Hashitoxic children by 6 mo. CONCLUSIONS: A female preponderance, less familial clustering, higher paucity of clinical manifestations and quick progression to hypothyroidism (in those without) were noted in the present series.
