Background and study aim: Goitre has been recognized in Sudan as a public health problem since the 1950's. Nationwide surveys on goitre were launched and various approaches in the quest for a solution to the problem were applied. Still, the number of goitrous individuals continues to grow each year. This article sheds lights and reiterates the frequency of goitre in Sudanese in the basis of scintigraphy and biopsy. The statistical findings should be especially useful to professionals in endemic medicine and endocrinology.
Patients and methods:The study was conducted at the Radiation and Isotope Center (RICK), Khartoum . A total of 400 patients received 2 mCi of Tc 99m Pertechnetate intravenously. Imaging was performed using a Nucline gamma camera computer system with general purpose parallel hole collimator. Biopsy was carried out by Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) with the guidance of ultrasonography.
Results : Goitre was more among females (88.8 %) as compared to males (11.2%) with a female: male ratio of 8:1. Goitre increased in the age group 20-40 with an average age of 35 years. Scintigraphy revealed diffuse goitre in 57.5%, multi nodular goitre in 37.5% and a single (solitary) thyroid nodule in 5% of the sample studied. Toxic goitre was reported in 4% of the patients while the rest were diagnosed as non-toxic goitre . The biopsy results showed that 8% of nodular goitres were malignant and the rest had cystic or degenerative changes only.
Conclusion : The study suggests that goitre in its major kinds, diffuse or nodular have the same frequency scintigraphically. Thyroid malignancy within nodular goitre remains in the minimum level. The goitre sill remains a major public health issue in Sudan and implementing iodine prophylaxis programs must be more activated