Assessment of Endemic Goiter of Children in Eastern Sudan (Kassala State) Using Ultrasonography and ELISA

Thyroid gland is one of most important endocrine glands in the body. It plays vital role in growth control and its measurements tends to change in respect to age, sex, weight and ethnic group of the individual. This study aimed to assess endemic goiter and to estimate the measurement of normal thyroid gland dimensions and thyroid hormones level in school-aged children using Ultrasonography and ELISA Technique in Eastern Sudan (Kassala state). A total of 100 subjects is 6 - 18 years (43 males, 57 females), and mean of age (9.73 ± 2.54 years). This study was done in the period from April 2016 to February 2017. All the subject undergone thyroid ultrasound and thyroid hormone level test. Subjects with history of goiter were excluded from the study, by thyroid dimension (length, height and diameter). Thyroid volume was estimated using ellipsoid formula and thyroid hormones (TSH, T3 and T4) using Toso full automation. The study revealed that 12 subjects of the study (12%) with goiter, 7 female (7%) and 5 males (5%) with age ranged 6 - 11 years with increase in TSH and T3 and decrease in T4 level. The mean of thyroid volumes for normal subject and subject of goiter are 4.93 ± 0.63, 5.4 ± 1.4 mL, respectively, and TSH, T3, T4 (1.8 ± 0.97, 2.4 ± 0.86 UIu/nL), (3.61 ± 0.32, 3.8 ± 0.55 Pg/Nl), (1.35 ± 1.23 ng/DI level respectively). It concluded that there was positive correlations between the age and the thyroid volume (p = 0.65). It increases with increase of the age. The Rt lobe is larger than the Lt lobe; the thyroid volume is higher in male than female, and this study found the TSH and T3 decreased with ages while T4 increased with ages in normal subject; TSH and T3 level increased and T4 level decreased in goiter children.