O BÓCIO ENDÊMICO NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

Abstract

According to the W.H.O. concept, one can conclude that the area of the State of São Paulo still is an endemic goiter area seven years after the salt iodization program has started. Our Law determines an enrichment of iodine in order to have a final concentration of 1:100.000 parts. 57,849 schoolchildren of both sex and belonging to 154 towns located in different regions of the State of São Paulo were examined. 93.8% of the towns had goiter rate of over 10%. Beside the general clinicai survey we went hack to 19 cities where we reexamined 3,602 schoolchildren who were examined two years before. Goiter prevalence was higher in the rural zone than in the Capital of the State. The prevalence of goiter was greater in negro schoolchildren meanwhile the yellow one presented the lowest rate of thyroid enlargement. Examining the relatives of schoolchildren with and without goiter we found that there was some kind of familial tendency for goiter. Even considering the amount of iodine established by the Law and the time that this Law is being applied, we must conclude that the reduction obtained in the State of São Paulo was not satisfactory. The results obtained suggested the analyze of salt and the water supplies regarding iodine content as well as urinary excretion of iodine in the children. The results will he presented in next paper.