Clinical Characteristics and Follow-up Findings of the Cases Pediatric Hashimoto's Thyroiditis- a Single Centre Experience

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics at application and during progression of Hashimoto's thyroiditis at children and adolescents. Methods: The clinical characteristics, thyroid function tests, thyroid autoantibodies, thyroid ultrasound datas and drug treatments of 83 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Patients' mean age at time of diagnosis were determinated 11.3 +/- 3.0 years. The male to female ratio was 3.3:1, and 51.8% of patients had a family history of thyroid disease. Mean weight SDS was 0.3 +/- 1.3, mean height SDS was 0.4 +/- 2.8 and mean body mass index SDS was 0.4 +/- 1.2. The principal symptom at time of gripe was goiter, in 27.7% of patients, and 34.9% of cases were identified incidentally. At physical examination, goiter was determined in 68.7% of patients. According to the thyroid function test results, 46.8% of patients had euthyroidism, 33.7% subclinical hypothyroidism, 17.7% hypothyroidism, 2.5% hyperthyroidism and 2.5% subclinical hyperthyroidism. Anti-TPO and anti-Tg antibody levels of the group started on L-thyroxine therapy were higher than those in the untreated patients (p = 0.01 and p = 0.051, respectively). L-thyroxine was initiated in 13 (35.1%) of the 37 patients who were initially euthyroid and not receiving treatment at presentation, due to subclinical or over hypothyroidism being observed at follow-up. Conclusion: Thyroid functions of pediatric patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis should be followed up at regular intervals, even if they are initially euthyroid, since hypothyroidism may develop in a significant number of cases in the follow-up period.