Ten-Year Review of Paediatric Endocrine Disorders at Uniosun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Paediatric endocrinology is a nascent subspecialty in Nigeria.Previous reports suggest a poor awareness of paediatric endocrine disorders resulting in late presentation, missed diagnosis and unnecessary death.
 Objectives: The study aims to report the prevalence of paediatric endocrine disorders at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital (UTH) and to provide essential information to enhance early presentation and management.
 Methods: This is a 10-year retrospective study of all children managed for paediatric endocrine disorders at UTH from March 2010 to March 2020. Relevant data were extracted from patients' records, entered into and analyzed with SPSS.
 Results: Forty (0.42%) of 9,520 new consultations at UTH paediatric specialist clinic during the study period had endocrine disorders. There were 13 males and 27 females (M:F=1:2), with ages ranging from 1 month to 15.5years and 23 (57.5%) of them were under the age of 5 years. The four most common endocrine disorders were Rickets (45%), Diabetes (15%), Thyroid disorders (15%) and disorders of puberty (12.5%). There was a progressive yearly increase in the number of paediatric endocrine cases seen. At the time of this report, 34 (85%) of the patients were alive and doing very well, 5 (12.5%) has been lost to follow up and 1 (2.5%) mortality was recorded.
 Conclusion: Rickets, diabetes, thyroid disorders and disorders of puberty are the four leading paediatric endocrine disorders seen at UTH. Attrition is a notable challenge in paediatric endocrine disorders. Reasons for attrition and ways to terminate these challenges need to be identified and put into practice.
 Keywords: Diabetes; Nigeria; Paediatric; Rickets; awareness; endocrine disorders.