[Thyroid diseases in elderly patients].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the differences about incidence, kind and clinical features of thyroid diseases in young and elderly patients.


METHODS
Our study has been conducted in Endocrine Surgery Unit, "S. Luigi and S. Currò" Hospital in Catania, from January 2001 to December 2003. In this period 621 patients affected with different thyroidopathies were observed. They were divided in two groups: elderly (65 years or older), named Group A, and young subjects (under 65 years old), named Group B. Group A included 147 people aged between 65 and 89, with F:M = 3.9:1. Our study was founded on clinical and laboratory evaluation of thyroid hormones and antibodies (AAT, AMT) and subsequently an ultrasonographical evaluation, that has been completed, in some cases, with cytologic examination (FNAc).


CONCLUSIONS
The main aspect about thyroid diseases is the different and atypical presentation in the elderly in comparison to young patients, with subsequent difficult diagnosis due to common symptoms to thyroidopathies rather than to physiological ageing. The most common thyroid dysfunctions in elderly are the autoimmune thyroidopathies, responsible of hypothyroidism. Such condition, in elderly, is often clinically irrelevant.
Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento Scienze chirurgiche, trapianti d'Organo e Tecnologie avanzate, Unità Operativa Clinicizzata di Endocrinochirurgia P.O.U. "S. Luigi-S. Currò". mario.costanzo@unict.it
Mario
M
Costanzo
Laura Antonella Maria
LA
Caruso
Mariano
M
Malaguarnera
Annunziata
A
Cavallaro
Alessia
A
Marziani
Matteo Angelo
MA
Cannizzaro
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000175:diagnosis; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
D013974:Thyroxine