ABSTRACT
Subacute thyroiditis (de Kerven's thyroiditis, giant cell thyroiditis, granulomatous thyroiditis) - a self-limiting inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland (thyroid gland), presumably of viral etiology, is the most common cause of pain in the thyroid gland. The disease (probably without an autoimmune component) is characterized by a 4-phase course (thyrotoxicosis, euthyroidism, hypothyroidism and restoration of normal functioning of the thyroid gland), its duration is from several weeks to several months. The subacute thyroiditis was first described by de Kerven in 1904. In most cases, if the disease has a characteristic clinical picture, the diagnosis of subacute thyroiditis is not difficult and, with adequate treatment, the patient will recover completely.
ABSTRACT
In the Russian Federation, there are virtually all areas whose population is at risk for iodine-deficiency disorders. During 2003, we made epidemiological studies of iodine-deficiency disorders within the framework of the Thyromobile project supported by the pharmaceutical company "Nycomed"in 12 regions of the Russian Federation. A total of 2673 individuals were examined. According to the WHO recommendations, the study covered prepubescent children aged 8 to 11 years. It involved physical examination, thyroid ultrasound study, blood sampling for ioduria, intelligence test, and sodium chloride iodine assay. The findings indicated that the tension of goiter endemia corresponded to the level of iodine deficiency, which was in the range of mild iodine deficiency, in most regions other than some districts of the Volgograd, Astrakhan, Nizhni Novgorod regions where the median of ioduria in schoolchildren corresponded severe iodine deficiency. The studies indicated that the population's use ofiodinated salt is not up to the recommendations of international expert organizations. Intelligence tests revealed an 11-18% IQ decrease in children from virtually all study areas. According to the strategy of iodine deficiency control in the Russian Federation, it is advisable to use iodinated salt for mass prevention and drugs containing a physicological dose of iodine for group and individual prevention.
ABSTRACT
То assess the prevalence and pattern of thyroid disease in Moscow, a mild iodine-deficiency area, the authors examined a random sample of 1103 individuals (1004 females and 99 males) during 14 months. The examinees' age ranged from 17 to 80 years; the mean age was 36.7±14.05; median was 37 years. The survey involved a physical examination with thyroid palpation, brief history data collection, and thyroid ultrasound study on a "Mysono"portable apparatus with a 7.5-MHz linear transducer, operating on a real-time basis. Among the examinees the echographic signs of these or those thyroid changes were found in 36% of cases. The most common abnormalities were focal thyroid tissue changes, whose prevalence was 12.4%. Thyroid nodular masses were encountered at a slightly less frequency (10.5%). Of them, nodular and multinodular goiter accounted for 6 and 4.5%, respectively. The third group of changes is presented by a diffuse decrease in thyroid tissue echogenicity (9%). Diffuse goiter was less frequently identified; its frequency was 5%. A minor proportion (0.1%) of the examinees had a history of operations for this or that thyroid disease.
