Clinical Spectrum of Thyroid Disorders; An Experience at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Peshawar

Abstract

Objective: The present study was conducted to explore the different clinical presentations of thyroid disorders among the patients presenting at the Endocrinology Clinic at Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Lady Reading Hospital.

Study type, settings & duration: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Diabetes & Endocrinology, Medical Teaching Institution (MTI), Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar from January to July 2021.  

Methodology: The sample of 66 subjects to screen for thyroid disorders. Patients’ demographic data, clinical, biochemical and thyroid symptomatology profile was collected using a pre-structured questionnaire.

Results: Most of the patients were found to have hyperthyroidism (72.7%), followed by hypothyroidism (12.1%), subclinical hypothyroidism (9.1%) and subclinical hyperthyroidism (6.1%). The most common symptoms observed among hypothyroid patients were weight gain and cold intolerance (87.5% each), while weight loss and heat intolerance were prominent among hyperthyroid patients, i.e. 97.9% and 93.8%, respectively. Anxiety was most common among the neuropsychiatric symptoms (81.8% overall), reported by all patients with hyperthyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism, while 12.5% and 16.7% of patients with hypo and subclinical hypothyroidism reported so. Thyroid swelling was detected among all patients (98.5%), irrespective of under or overactive thyroid. Based on the diagnostic test, anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) was present among 4.54% of patients, while thyroid receptor antibody (TRAb) results were positive for 6.06% of patients, indicating the presence of autoimmune thyroid disorders.

Conclusion: High prevalence of thyroid disorders was observed among middle-aged females of northern Pakistan. The clinical, biochemical and symptomatology were extensively studied, and we found substantial variations among patients ..........