Graves' disease in children in the two decades following implementation of an iodine prophylaxis programme

Abstract

Grave's disease (GD) is a form of thyroid autoimmune disease characterised by hyperthyroidism. It is a rare clinical problem in paediatrics. Development of disease is the result of genetic susceptibility and some environmental factors. One of the best-documented environmental factors involved in thyroid autoimmunity is iodine excess. The aim of our study was to analyse the clinical course and response to pharmacological treatment in children diagnosed with Graves' disease in first two decades after mandatory salt iodination. Records of 94 children diagnosed with GD in the years 1998-2017 were analysed. Medical data of patients was compared between two decades following implementation of iodine prophylaxis: 1998-2007 (first-decade group - FDG) and 2008-2017 (second-decade group - SDG); 34 and 60 patients, respectively. Medical data of FDG was obtained from archival records and previous analysis performed in 2006. Data of 60 patients from SDG were obtained from currently available medical records. Results were statistically analysed using Microsoft Excel and Statistica 11 software. Results: In our study, after mandatory salt iodination, the tendency of an increase in newly diagnosed GD in children without family susceptibility was observed. The antibody profile indicates the significant contribution of the autoimmune process involving all thyroid antigens; therefore, the term "autoimmune hyperthyroidism" seems to be more appropriate than classical GD in this group of patients. The first-choice treatment with methimazole rarely causes adverse events during the therapy, and they have benign character.

Keywords: Graves’ disease; children; clinical course; salt iodination.

Fig. 1

Incidence rate in particular months of the year in children with Graves’ disease