Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital, Tsing Chung Koon Road, Tuen Mun, N.T., Hong Kong, China
LM Wong ( 黃立明 ) MRCP, FHKCPaed
KY Li ( 李潔如 ) MRCP, FHKCPaed
K Tse ( 謝江 ) FRCP(Edin), FHKAM(Paed)
Correspondence to: Dr LM Wong
Received December 20, 2002
Thyroid dysfunction, especially primary hypothyroidism, is common among patients with Down Syndrome. The clinical features of hypothyroidism cannot be easily distinguished from those of Down syndrome and a screening programme is necessary for early detection. This study showed that the prevalence of primary hypothyroidism was 33% among boys and 31% in girls while the prevalences of thyrotoxicosis and Hashimoto thyroiditis was each at 1.3%.
