RIYADH, 17 February — Medical experts have stressed the need for pregnant women to go for a blood screening test for the detection of thyroid disorders, which if left untreated in the early stage, could affect the infant and cause mental and physical retardation.
"Patients generally come to us when they detect swelling in the neck. By then, the disease is already in an advanced stage," Dr.Mohamed Ahmed, consultant diabetologist/endocrinologist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, told Arab News. King Faisal Specialist Hospital will be mounting an awareness program to educate the people on the importance of early detection of thyroid cancer.
He was speaking at the start of a three-day international symposium on "Medical/Surgical treatment of thyroid disorders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" at the KFSH&RC here today.
Experts from the US and the Kingdom are participating in the symposium, which will deal with the incidence of thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and childhood thyroid disorders in the Kingdom.
It will also report on the advances in thyroid disorders for the target audience that includes general practitioners, internists, endocrinologists and surgeons.
Dr. Ahmad, also the chairman of the symposium's organizing committee, said women, tend to be more vulnerable to thyroid disorders than men. He disclosed that their hospital has so far discovered some 2,500 cases of thyroid cancer during the screening program, which began in November 1975.
"Any nodule in the thyroid gland in the front part of the neck should not be taken lightly. Medical help should be sought immediately," Dr. Ahmed said, adding that screening tests have become mandatory at KFSH and other hospitals.
He observed that such disorders have been found among newborn babies. The exact cause is not known, but the problem is prevalent in areas where the water is deficient in iodine content.
Dr. Ahmad said the Kingdom has made an important advance in the diagnosis of congenital hypothyroid disorders among newborn babies. The breakthrough in this direction was achieved by Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Nuaim of KFSH & RC and Dr. Nasser Al-Jurayyan of King Saud University.
They have indicated that the incidence of congenital hyperthyroids is higher in the Kingdom than elsewhere. "The treatment is fairly simple and involves replacing the missing hormone," Dr. Ahmed observed.
Dr. Leslie DeGroot, Professor of Medicine,University of Chicago Medical Center, said the Kingdom had taken major steps in the treatment of hypothyroidism by correcting iodine deficiency through iodization of salt. He referred to case studies conducted in one of the Kingdom's rural areas that established a link between iodine deficiency and goiter as well as mental retardation.
Dr. James Sisson, Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan Hospital, spoke on the evaluation and management of thyroid nodules. Dr. Abdulraof Al-Mahfouz, head of Endocrinology section at KFSH & RC, gave a presentation on thyroid disease during pregnancy. He stressed the need for screening before pregnancy to detect thyroid disease. He said any hormonal deficiency in the thyroid could adversely affect the baby leading to low IQ at a later stage.
