Study on Thyroid Dystrophy in the Internal Medicine Department of Point G University Hospital

Introduction: Thyroid dysfunction refers to all thyroid conditions characterized by permanent and disordered secretion of thyroid hormones. Methods: This was a descriptive study with retrospective data collection that took place over a period of 4 years and 2 months, and prospectively over 10 months, in internal medicine at Point G University Hospital. Data were collected from medical records, entered, and analyzed with SPSS version 2.0. Results: A retrospective analysis of 8,516 consulted and/or hospitalized patients identified 337 cases of thyroid dysfunction, yielding a hospital frequency of 3.95%. The cohort had a mean age of 43.74 ± 15.14 years and was predominantly female (82.2%), with a sex ratio: males/females (60/277) = 0.22. The condition was most frequently discovered through the presence of goiter or clinical signs suggesting hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Cytological and clinical examinations revealed that multinodular goiter was the most common etiology (36.21%), followed by thyroid vesicular adenoma (27.78%). Among hyperthyroid cases, Graves’ disease was the predominant cause, accounting for 24.9% of instances. Therapeutically, 30% of the cohort underwent thyroidectomy, which subsequently resulted in postoperative hypothyroidism. Major complications included cardiothyreosis, which was observed in 11.2% of hyperthyroid and 8.3% of hypothyroid patients. Cardiothyreosis is functional and sometimes structural damage to the heart linked to the excessive action of thyroid hormones. Conclusion: Thyroid dystrophy is a common disease with female predominance. The clinical expression is polymorphic. The most common causes are Graves’ disease and thyroidectomy.