93 ORIGINAL ARTICLE The investigation of effects of fluorosis on thyroid volume in school-age children Ali Kutlucan 1 , Banu Kale Koroglu 2 , Mehmet Numan Tamer 2 , Yusuf Aydin 1 , Davut Baltaci 3 , Mehmet Ak- dogan 4 , Mustafa Ozturk 5 , Huseyin Vural 4 , Fatih Ermis 6 1 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocri- nology, School of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, 3 Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Duzce Univer- sity, Duzce, 4 Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, 5 Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, 6 Department of Gastroenterology, Isparta State Hospital, Isparta; Turkey Corresponding author: Ali Kutlucan Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Duzce University Konuralp, 81620, Duzce, Turkey Phone: +90 380 542 1390; Fax: +90 380 542 1302; E-mail: dralikutlucan@gmail.com Original submission: 12 June 2012; Revised submission: 30 July 2012; Accepted: 17 August 2012. Med Glas Ljek komore Zenicko-doboj kantona 2013; 10(1):93-98 ABSTRACT Aim To compare the urine iodine, luoride, and to measure thyroid volumes in 10-15-year-old children using ultrasonography, a gold standard in evaluating thyroid volume. Methods A total of 261 children were enrolled into the study group from the 4 - 8 th grades of 3 different primary schools, which were in the zone with high luoride levels. The control group was formed by enrolling 298 children from the 4 - 8 th grades of only one primary school. Age, gender, height, and weight values were recorded for the children. The urine iodine, luoride, and thyroid volumes were measured with ultrasonography in 10-15-year-old children with luorosis and controls and compared between two groups. Results The mean urine luoride level was 0.48±0.24 mg/L in the study group and 0.22±0.17 mg/L in the control group (p<0.001). The mean urine iodine level did not differ between two groups. The mean total thyroid volume was 8.60±3.11 mL and 8.73± 2.75 mL in the study and control group, respectively. The groups were also compared according to the echobody index, and the score was 6.94±2.14 ml/m² in the study group and 6.48±1.53 ml/m² in the control group (p=0.003). Mean thyroid volumes did not differ between two groups. However, the echobody index in the study group was higher than in the control group. Conclusion A relation between luoride concentration and thyro- id gland with ultrasonographic examination was irstly evaluated, and it was concluded that luoride affected thyroid gland although it was weakly signiicant. After puberty, echobody index in su- bjects with luorosis was markedly high. Based on our results, we thought that luorosis increases thyroid volume in children with luorosis after puberty. Key words: ultrasonography, luorosis, echobody index