NON-TOXIC GOITRE

Abstract

ABSTRACT Among 29 patients operated on for non-toxic goitre 17 had a plasmaiodine concentration and thyroid clearance within the normal range for the region while 12 patients were iodine deficient in comparison to the former group. Extensive investigations of the 29 patients were performed including chromatography of the serum, urine and thyroid-gland digest and measurement of the iodine concentration and content of the goitrous tissue. No qualitative differences were found between the groups, on the contrary, a continuum existed, findings being related to the degree of iodine deficiency. Thus, the group with a low plasma inorganic iodine (PII) showed the largest goitres, lowest thyroid tissue iodine concentration and highest [125I] MIT/DIT and [125I] T3/T4 thyroid-tissue ratio. In the group with a "normal" PII concentration, iodoamino acid distribution in the para-adenomatous tissue was similar to that of "normal" thyroid glands in the present region, whereas nodular tissue compared with the goitrous tissue of the most iodine deficient group. Thus, only quantitative differences were found between the groups, and it is concluded that the goitres of both groups were due to iodine deficiency.