title: [Ultrasonic assessment of thyroid nodules, and iodine status of French adults participating in the SU.VI.MAX study].
abstract: Thyroid nodules were assessed by ultrasound in 3 621 presumably healthy free-living French subjects participating in the SU.VI.MAX cohort (2 160 females aged 35-60 years and 1 461 males aged 45-60 years). Urinary iodine was measured in all participants in random morning urine samples. Nodular thyroid structures ranging from 3 mm to 57 mm in diameter were found in 14.5% of the population, without significant differences between regions in the different age and sex groups. Single nodules and multiple lesions were found in, respectively, 9.7% and 3.1% of the subjects. In females, nodules increased from 12.9% to 19.2% between 35-45 years and 45-60 years, respectively (p<0.001). Thyroid nodularity was more frequent among women aged 45-60 years than among men of those ages (19.2% vs. 11.0%, p=0.001). Descriptive data provided by ultrasound differentiated the nodules into solid (43.4%), cystic (38.4%), and mixed solid-cystic (18.2%). Most solid thyroid nodules, 76.1%, were hypoechoic, while 16.6% were iso-, and 7.3% were hyperechoic. The median of iodine concentrations (n=3 276) was 8.0 microgram/100 ml, with 19.4% of the samples being<5 microgram/100 ml. Median iodine concentrations displayed wide regional variations, with values significantly higher in residents of western regions than among those living in the eastern areas (p<0.001), independently of age and sex. No relationship was found between prevalence of nodular thyroid structure and the state of borderline iodine status observed in France.
authors.affiliation: U557 INSERM (UMR Inserm/Inra/Cnam), 2, rue Conté, 75003 Paris, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valeix
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarebska
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bensimon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cousty
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertrais
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hercberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D007455:Iodine