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Endocrine Abstracts (2010) 22 P856

1Chair and Department of Endocrinology, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland; 2Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Medical University, Lodz, Poland; 3Chair and Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Internal Diseases, Medical University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland; 4Chair and Department of Pediatrics, Hematology, Oncology and Endocrinology, Medical University in Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland; 5Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Diseases Ward, General District Hospital, Olsztyn, Poland; 6Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.


Goiter frequency (GF) in schoolchildren and urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in an appropriately large population sample are iodine nutrition (IN) best indicators. GF in mildly iodine deficient areas should be assessed ultrasonographically, as palpation sensitivity in such cases is low.

Aim: To assess thyroid volume reference values as IN marker in population with recently introduced obligatory iodine prophylaxis (OIP).

Material and methods: Data from 7489 schoolchildren aged 6–12 years examined between 1999 and 2009 were analyzed. 36.33% of children were born after OIP implementation. Thyroid volume was assessed ultrasonographically according to standard procedures. Reference values by Delange et al. (DRV) and Zimmermann et al. (ZRV) were used for GF calculation. UIC was assessed in casual morning sample using Sandell-Kolthoff method.

Results: Median UIC value in study sample was 92.29 μg/l (mean 106.39±68.76 μg/l), 54.05% of children excreted <100 μg/l. GF was 4.23 and 51.14% according to DRV and ZRV, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in GF according to DRV between children with UIC less and more than 100 μg/l (4.42 vs 4.0%), whereas GF was significantly lower (P=0.01) with UIC>100 μg/l when ZRV were applied (52.42% vs. 49.85%). GF in children born after 1996 was significantly lower according to DRV and higher according to ZRV (1.95 vs 5.54% for born before 1997, P=0.00 and 53.40 vs 49.85%, P=0.03; respectively). GF in children aged 10–12 years was higher than in younger ones (DRV: 5.32 vs 3.31%, P=0.00; ZRV: 52.48 vs 50.0%, P=0.03; respectively).

Conclusions: Although UIC indicates that Poland is area of borderline iodine sufficiency, ZRV overrate GF in schoolchildren. Previously recommended DRV don’t mirror all trends in GF resulting from improved IN (children born after OIP implementation were younger). Establishing of the separate reference values for mildly insufficient and recently iodine sufficient populations seems to be reasonable.

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