Thyrotoxicosis in Benin City: a study of surgical treatment of 50 patients

Thyrotoxicosis is regarded as uncommon in sub-tropical Africa, although recent reports seem to indicate an increasing frequency of this disease. From January 1986 to April 2001, 50 patients were operated upon for thyrotoxicosis at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Forty seven of them were females and three males (ratio 15.7:1). Poor compliance with drug therapy, relapse in symptoms, increase in the size of the goitre and cosmesis were the main indications for surgery. Sub-total thyroidectomy uniformly produced good results from the limited follow-up; few complications were associated with this procedure. The patients generally had good haemoglobin levels ≥ 10g% on admission and no blood transfusion was used in the series during or after surgery. There was no mortality. It is recommended that in sub-tropical Africa, surgery for thyrotoxicosis is a safe, effective and reasonably cheap procedure when compared to other modalities of treatment.