Urinary iodine and the state of the thyroid gland in Czech children.

In 1988 the authors examined by palpation a total of 978 13--14-year-old children (490 boys and 488 girls) from two areas with a different endemic incidence of goitre (Sedlcany area high endemic, Príbram area low endemic). By palpation in this group a non-palpable thyroid gland was found in 48.2% boys and 33.2% girls. Type 1A in 44.9% boys and 50.0% girls, type 1B in 6.5% boys and 14.8% girls and type 2 in 0.3% boys and 2.0% girls. From this basic group by random selection a representative group of 200 children was selected where the following were assessed: urinary iodine/g creatinine, T3, T4, TSH and the volume of the thyroid gland. Urinary iodine in children from the Sedlcany area: boys 74.98 +/- 52.57 micrograms I/g cr, girls 75.36 +/- 77.05 micrograms I/g cr, children from the Príbram area: boys 55.0 +/- 23.36, girls 58.0 +/- 30.24 micrograms I/g cr. The difference between urinary iodine in boys from the two areas is significant (P < 0.05). The prevalence of optimal urinary iodine (i.e. 101-150 micrograms I/g cr) was in the Sedlcany area 6--13%, in the Príbram area 2.5-8.0% (girls, boys). The difference between areas was not significant. Volume of the thyroid gland in the Sedlcany area: boys 7.20 +/- 2.26 ml, girls 8.0 +/- 2.66 ml, in the Príbram area: boys 7.18 +/- 3.01 ml, girls 7.79 +/- 2.63 ml. The prevalence of children with a volume of the thyroid gland above 10 ml in the Sedlcany area was 20% in boys and 21.6% in girls. In the Príbram area 18.4% in boys and 17.5% in girls. The difference between areas was not significant. T3 in the Sedlcany area in boys: 2.43 +/- 0.53, in girls 2.42 +/- 0.51 nmol/l, in the Príbram area in boys 2.61 +/- 0.50, in girls 2.53 +/- 0.62 nmol. The difference between areas is not significant. T4 in the Sedlcany area in boys: 132.3 +/- 26.39 nmol/l, in girls: 132.92 +/- 26.77 nmol/l, in the Príbram area in boys: 126.7 +/- 23.89 nmol/l, in girls 147.8 +/- 40.2 nmol/l. The difference is significant in girls (P < 0.05). TSH Sedlcany area in boys: 1.62 +/- 0.67 mU/l, in girls 2.07 +/- 0.72 mU/l in the Príbram area in boys: 1.77 +/- 0.95 mU/l, in girls 2.10 +/- 1.25 mU/l. The difference is not significant. The prevalence of elevated T3 levels (above 3.0 nmol/l) in the Sedlcany area was 7.4% in boys and 8.9% in girls, in the Príbram area 15.4% in boys and 14.0% in girls. The difference is not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)