Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common autoimmune thyroid disease and the most common cause of euthyroid goitre and acquired hypothyroidism in childhood.

Objective: To describe the clinical manifestations, course and outcome of HT in children and adolescents.

Method: The study included 43 patients with HT, aged 3–16 years, mean age 12.5 years, 36-girls, seven boys; 15 (35%) prepubertal, 28 (65%) pubertal, monitored on average of 4.9 years.

Results: Goitre is the most common symptom of HT, recorded in 19 (44.3%), and during follow-up in 31 (72%) of the children. In 17 (89.5%) were diffuse goitre, and in 15 (34.4%) children was isolated symptom. Goitre was recorded in 14 (73.7%) girls and 5 (21.3%) boys. Other clinical symptoms HT are: anaemia in seven patients (16.2%), fatigue in 5 (11.8%), increased appetite in 4 (9.7%), obtaining in TM 3 (7.0%), growth retardation in 2 children (4.7%) and irregular menstrual cycle in 5 (23.8%) out of 21 pubertal girls. Hypothyroidism is initially recorded in 7 (16.3%), and during follow-up the euthyroid state in 25 patients (58.1%). A positive family history of autoimmune thyroid disease had 18 (41.9%) children, of which 13 (72.2%) demonstrated hypothyroidism. In 12 (27.8%) children were identified: DMT1 in six children, vitiligo in two, M.Coeliacus in three, and M.Gravis in one child.

Conclusion: HT is five times more common among girls. The most common clinical symptom HT is a diffuse goitre, and hypothyroidism is recorded in 42%. The frequency of positive family history of autoimmune thyroid disease is high in children with HT, which increases the risk of developing hypothyroidism. As almost one-third of children with HT manifested and other autoimmune diseases, clinical follow-up involves the search for them.