title: Aetiological profile of overt hypothyroidism in Indian population.
abstract: We analysed the aetiology of hypothyroidism in 144 patients. In these hospital referral data, thyroid surgery and decompensated iodine deficiency were the major known causes of hypothyroidism (19.5% and 15.3% respectively), while in the majority of patients (45.14%) the aetiology was obscure. The idiopathic group had patients who were significantly younger (p less than 0.01), showed a gland size between 2 and 3 SD ranges in significantly higher preponderance (p less than 0.05), and presented with generally higher prevalence rates of signs and symptoms; however, only menstrual disturbances (p less than 0.01), loss/reduced appetite (p less than 0.01) and dry/thickened hair (p less than 0.25) reached statistical significance. Since hypothyroidism has definite and substantial morbidity, these results are of importance to public health and medical personnel for a Bayesian approach to the aetiological diagnosis of hypothyroidism and for ordering specific confirmatory laboratory investigations.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Centre, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jangid
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jangid
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Ram
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007194:India; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D007455:Iodine