Paediatric endocrine disorders at a tertiary hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The global increase in paediatric endocrine disorders (PED) is thought to be a result of multiple factors including changing lifestyles, environmental pollution and increasing awareness and diagnostic capabilities. Studies on the prevalence of paediatric endocrine disorders in the developing world are few. A preliminary audit of PED at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital two years ago revealed type 1 diabetes mellitus as the commonest diagnosis. Since then many more children with PED continue to be referred from various centres.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to describe the burden and pattern paediatric endocrine disorders over a three-year period.
Subjects and Methods: Records of patients who presented in the paediatric endocrine unit between March 2017 and March 2020 were reviewed and relevant data on age at presentation, sex and diagnosis were extracted.
Results: A total of 172 patients representing 0.45% of the total paediatric patients seen within the period. There were more females 90(52.3%) than males 79(45.9%) and three patients (1.7%) presented with disorders of sexual differentiation. Age of presentation ranged between 11 days and 16 years with mean of 6.27 ± 4.5 years. The commonest groups of endocrine disorders were disorders of pancreas/lipids-diabetes (n=33, 19.2%), pubertal disorders (n=25, 14.5%) and thyroid disorders (n=24, 14.0%).
Conclusion: Our unit witnessed a comparatively larger case-load of PEDs compared to earlier reports from other parts of Nigeria. Diabetes mellitus, pubertal and thyroid disorders constituted the commonest paediatric endocrine disorders encountered.
Key words: Diabetes, Goitre, Hypothyroidism, Precocious Puberty, Africa