Children and Symptems and Causes of Goiter

Children, whose diet lack iodine, may show signs of goiter, when they are reach adolescence. A physician, of course, should check on any suspected case of thyroid disturbance. Tests are not simple; several may be needed, especially when a disturbance is relatively mild. One frequently employed test is the basal metabolism, which records the amount of oxygen used. In hyperthyroidism, the amount is increased; in hypothyroidism, it is decreased. 

Another test uses radioactive iodine as a tracer. Severity of thedisease can be established by the amount of the iodine taken up by the thyroid; an underactive gland will take up less, an overactive one more. The protein-bound iodine (PBI) test involves an examination of the blood taken from a vein to determine whether the amount of PBI normally produced in the body is elevated as in hyperthyroidism or low as in the opposite condition.

Thyroid tumors occur. Most are benign, or harmless; some are malignant. Surgery is the usual procedure in cases of thyroid cancer but radiation is sometimes used, particularly if the malignancy has begun to spread. The Parathyroid Glands These tiny glands, usually found in clusters of four, are embedded near the thyroid base. They are so much smaller than the thyroid that before surgeons were certain of their presence they were sometimes re- moved with the thyroid when excision of the latter was necessary. The location and significance of the parathyroid are well known today, and there is little danger of accidental removal. 

The hormone of the parathyroid, called parathormone, has much to do with the balance in the body, and the excretion in the urine, of calcium and phosphorus which are derived from milk and other foods and are necessary for bone growth and maintenance. If the parathyroids become underactive, the calcium level in the blood falls and muscles develop painful spasms, called tetany. In severe cases, convulsion and death may result.

 Administration of parathyroid hormone, or certain synthetic compounds with similar actions, or a potent vitamin 0 preparation, will usually keep calcium output normal and stop the spasms. Feeding calcium is helpful in such cases. Hyperparathyroidism, caused by tumors, can deplete the bones of calcium and may cause kidney stone formation as well. Some patients have duodenal ulcer. A rare disorder, hyperparathyroidism is curable if diagnosed early.