Abstract
The sonographic examinations of the thyroid gland is a valuable method for a precise determination of the thyroid gland volume in the areas with moderate iodine deficiency. Children and adults cohorts were investigated during epidemiological research carried out under iodine deficiency elimination program which started in the ninetieth of the past century.
The objective of our project was to investigate the thyroids gland morfological and functional status and to determine the normal values of the thyroid gland volumes. In total, by random sampling there were 2682 children in 10 areas of the Czech Republic sonographically examined; subsets of 519 girls and 608 boys were selected based on ioduria level in the first morning urine sample equal or higher than 100 μg/l which meant optimal iodine supplementation recommended by the World Health's Organization(WHO) and International Council Commitee of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD).
In total, by random sampling there were 3416 adults in 11 areas of the Czech Republic sonographically examined; subsets of 971 females and 681 males were selected based on the same criteria as for children. 519 girls and 608 boys were further divided according to body surface area categories which represents a precise index. The group of the 1652 adults was first divided according to sex and then with respect to age categories by 5-year intervals.
The long work fulfiled a gap in the Czech thyrology and substantionally contributed to a determination of the first normal values of the thyroid gland volumes for children and adults in the Czech Republic.