A Survey of Goiter Morbidity in Ban Mae Toen, Northwest Thailand

A number of cases of goiter have been reported from Ban Mae Toen (BMT) northwestern Thailand, therefore we carried out this study to evaluate the prevalence and severity of goiter in BMT. We suspected fluoride toxicity as a factor in this phenomenon, therefore we used a WHO model using photographs to carry out a non-medical survey for teeth discoloration and limb deformity at the same time as the goiter survey. Every resident of BMT and a sampled population from two nearby control villages were surveyed in 2007. The overall prevalence of goiter among both sexes was 11%; 20% in women and 3% in men. No cases of goiter were recognised in the two control villages. Twenty-four percent of the BMT population and 5% of the sampled population of the control villages had lower limb deformities. Sixty-three percent of the BMT population had discoloration of teeth, especially among those >35 years old. The control villages had significantly (p<0.01) fewer cases of discoloration of teeth than the BMT population. The morbidity seen in Ban Mae Toen suggests the need for urgent enquiry into the etiology of this morbidity.