Reference Values of Thyroid Volume in a Healthy, Non-iodine-deficient Spanish Population

F. J. Maravall; N. Gómez-Arnáiz; A. Gumá; R. Abós; J. Soler; J. M. Gómez

doi:10.1055/s-2004-825901

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Horm Metab Res 2004; 36(9): 645-649
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-825901

Original Clinical

Reference Values of Thyroid Volume in a Healthy, Non-iodine-deficient Spanish Population

F. J. Maravall¹ , N. Gómez-Arnáiz¹ , A. Gumá² , R. Abós³ , J. Soler¹ , J. M. Gómez¹

¹Endocrinology Service, Ciutat Sanitària i Universitària de Bellvitge, C/ Feixa Llarga s/n, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
²Radiology Service, Ciutat Sanitària i Universitària de Bellvitge, C/ Feixa Llarga s/n, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
³Clinical-Epidemiology Unit, Ciutat Sanitària i Universitària de Bellvitge, C/ Feixa Llarga s/n, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

Further Information

Publication History

Received 24 November 2003

Accepted after revision 31 March 2004

Publication Date:
15 October 2004 (online)

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Abstract

Our aim was to assess reference values of thyroid volume by ultrasonography in healthy adult subjects. We conducted an epidemiological cross-sectional study where 880 subjects were randomly selected from the town census of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat after being invited to participate in our study directly by mail and phone call. We made a clinical history of each subject and determined serum thyrotropin, antiperoxidase antibodies, urinary iodine excretion and thyroid volume by ultrasonography. Subjects with thyroid disease were excluded. We finally studied 268 representative subjects. The reference thyroid volume was median 7.31 ml, mean 8.22 ml (Confidence Interval: 7.75 - 8.69ml). In men: median 9.19 ml, mean 9.87 ml (CI: 9.09 - 10.65 ml); in women: median 6.19 ml, mean 6.57 ml (CI: 6.22 - 9.92 ml) (p < 0.0001). We grouped the subjects into decades, and found that thyroid volume was different (p = 0.0034) in males because the younger group had lower volume. We did not find any differences among age groups in women. The mean of the urinary iodine excretion was 154.23 µg/l. We have determined reference values of thyroid volume measured by ultrasonography in our iodine non-deficient population and prepared tables that distribute thyroid volume by sex and age.

Key words

Thyrotropin · Antiperoxidase antibodies · Urinary iodine excretion · Iodine non-deficient · Cross-sectional study

References

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Dr. F. J. Maravall

c/ Paer Casanovas 37, 4° · C. 25.008 Lleida · Spain

Phone: +34 (973) 235192 ·

Fax: +34 (973) 248754

Email: javimarlleida@hotmail.com