The Pattern of Thyroid Disorders in the Eastern Part of Libya: A Retrospective Study in Albieda Hospital

Diseases involving the thyroid gland are one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting the general population. They can be non-neoplastic or neoplastic lesions. The prevalence and pattern of these disorders depend on various factors including sex, age, ethnic and geographic location mainly depending on iodine contents in the soil, water, and food supply. The present study aimed to determine the pattern of thyroid lesions in surgically resected thyroid specimens received in the pathology department of Albieda Hospital - Libya and to characterize the histopathological patterns of thyroid lesions in thyroidectomy specimens among Libyan patients, and their frequency in relation to age and gender of the patients. A retrospective study was carried out and analyzed the data of 652 thyroidectomy specimens diagnosed over eleven years (2008–2019) at the Department of Pathology, Albieda Hospital, Albieda, Libya. A total of 652 consecutive thyroidectomy specimens were selected. Patient's age ranges from 11–85 years. In thyroidectomy specimens, 603 were females (92.4%) and 49 (7.5%) were males. There were 79 (12.1%) neoplastic lesions, and 573 (87.8%) were non-neoplastic. The majority of non-neoplastic lesions was colloid goiter (476 cases, 83%). Follicular adenoma was the most common neoplastic lesion (63 cases, 80%). Fourteen out of the 79 neoplastic lesions were carcinomas. The most common histological type was papillary carcinoma (14%). The peak age for thyroid malignancy was the 4th to 6th decades. Non-neoplastic thyroid lesions are more common than neoplastic ones. Colloid goiter was the most common non-neoplastic lesion, and papillary carcinoma is the common thyroid cancer seen in females. There was a marked female predominance in all types of thyroid diseases.