CONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM IN TURKEY - A RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF 1000 CASES

In this retrospective investigation, 1000 cases of congenital hypothyr oidism followed-up in the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit at Hacettepe Un iversity Children's Hospital between 1964-1989 were evaluated with res pect to age at diagnosis, main complaints, symptoms and physical findi ngs. The mean age at diagnosis was 49.22 months, with 55.4 percent of patients diagnosed after two years of age and only 3.1 percent during the neonatal period. The main complaints of the patients were growth f ailure (26.7%), inability to speak (21.4%), and inability to walk (18. 1%). The physical signs and symptoms most commonly detected by the phy sician were hypotonia (72%), constipation (66.8%), cretinoid face (64. 6%), and macroglossia (64.6%). These results emphasize the necessity f or routine neonatal screening programs to be established in Turkey, wi th the aim of detecting congenital hypothyroidism.