Hypothyroidism in Hospitals (Burkina Faso)

Abstract

Background: The epidemiology of hypothyroidism has been characterized by an increase in its frequency, especially in females and the elderly. Our aim was to study hypothyroidism in hospitals in Ouagadougou. Material and Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study with retrospective data collection covering a period of four (04) years between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018. It included patients followed in the internal medicine departments of three (03) teaching hospitals in the city of Ouagadougou. Yalgado OUEDRAOGO, Bogodogo and Tengandogo Teaching Hospitals, were the study setting. Results: 120 cases of hypothyroidism were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 45.7 years with a sex ratio of 0.26. The signs frequently reported were weight gain (28.3%), asthenia (15.8%), and myalgia (15%). TSHus was elevated in 99.2% of patients in our series. The T3L assay level was lowered in 40.9%, with an average of 2.2 ± 1.5 pg/ml. T4L was lowered in 68.2% with an average of 6.6 ± 4 pg/ml. Primary hypothyroidism accounted for 99.2% of the cases, of which iatrogenic hypothyroidism was the most frequent with 77.5% followed by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with 9.2% of the cases. Hormonal balance was achieved in the majority of patients (59.2%) who received hormonal supplementation with levothyroxine at an average dose of 84.5 μg/day. Conclusion: Hypothyroidism is common in women in their forties. Iatrogenic hypothyroidism was the predominant etiology reported in Ouagadougou.