Endemic goiter: clinical picture and evolution

The goiter is the most frequent clinical manifestation of the nutritional deficiency of iodine. If present in more than 5% of the general population or more than 10% of the children in school of a defined geographic area, goiter is defined endemic. Endemic goiter is an adaptive disease produced by the persistent stimulation of the thyroid gland as consequence of the thyrotropin increased secretion due to the iodine deficiency. If iodine deficiency is severe or persistent, other manifestations can be observed in the clinical picture of the iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), such as cretinism. In general goiter is not associated to other manifestations during the initial state of the disease, but nodular and toxic evolution are frequent complication of long standing disease.