| ans an enlargement of the thyroid gland, and in Latin, | | | | in cases of multinodular goiter. Hence the size of the |
| guttur means throat. | | | | thyroid gland may not indicate the true pathology |
| What is iodine deficiency goiter? | | | | developing in the gland. |
| It occurs due to a lack of iodine in the diet, in | | | | Practical approach / hints for investigating a case of |
| vegetables and/or in the water. It is common among | | | | goiter and/or solitary nodule/s: |
| the people living in the hills, where the iodine content | | | | In any case of goiter and/ or solitary nodule / s in |
| of the soil is limited, due perhaps to soil erosion by | | | | the thyroid gland, one needs to look for the following: |
| continued rains, etc. It is thus endemic, i.e. at such a | | | | (i) Is it malignant? |
| place, one can find several people with swollen necks, | | | | (ii) Is any treatment required? |
| as a result of an enlarged thyroid gland. More | | | | (iii) Has it caused hyperactivity or underactivity of the |
| precisely, the disease is called endemic iodine | | | | thyroid functions? |
| deficiency goiter. | | | | All the above points have been explained further, and |
| Hence, when the food/water taken by persons in | | | | they are necessary so that nothing remains |
| such areas is deficient of iodine, the supply of iodine | | | | undetected, and the specific treatment is not |
| to the thyroid gland suffers, and there is a constant | | | | delayed. |
| pressure on the gland to secrete normal amount of | | | | Although an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) may not |
| hormones. As a result, the gland goes on increasing in | | | | disturb the functioning of the body, yet due to its |
| size, and even its shape may get distorted, and it | | | | enlarged weight/ size, it may press the underlying |
| may become nodular, the so-called multinodular goitre. | | | | trachea (windpipe) or oesophagus (food-pipe), so |
| In its initial stages, there may be only a smooth | | | | that the patient may have some difficulty in |
| enlargement of both the lobes of the thyroid gland, | | | | breathing as well as in swallowing. Cosmetic factors, |
| as in puberty goiter. | | | | especially in females, should also be considered. Thus, |
| Hence it may be said that the thyroid gland is very | | | | a portion of the thyroid gland may have to be |
| loyal to the body, so that even if there is a constant | | | | removed surgically in selected cases. |
| inadequate supply of iodine to the gland, it goes on | | | | Prophylaxis for endemic iodine deficiency goiter: |
| supplying/manufacturing/ producing sufficient amount | | | | As a prophylactic measure, in endemic areas, for all |
| of hormones for the normal activity of the body, | | | | normal persons/ children, iodized salts should be used |
| although the gland itself increases in size enormously. | | | | as a matter routine. |
| One may think that if the thyroid gland is enlarged, | | | | Other causes of goiter |
| there should be a corresponding increase in the | | | | An enlargement of the thyroid gland may also occur |
| production of thyroid hormones. But that is not | | | | in persons who are addicted to heavy smoking, and |
| always so, although in some of the cases, the gland | | | | those who are taking PAS (paraaminosalicylic acid) for |
| may turn toxic or hyperactive, or underactive, and | | | | the treatment of tuberculosis. |
| yet in some other cases, malignancy may develop, as | | | | |