BackgroundThyroid disease poses a major clinical problem. Knowledge of the pattern and distribution of thyroid disease is important to establish prevention and treatment protocols. This is hampered by lack of data.MethodsThis is a retrospective descriptive study of histopathology reports on thyroid tissue surgically excised from patients over a 10-year-period (from 2009-2020) at a major teaching hospital. Demographic data on patients included the age, gender, geographical location and ethnic origin.Results A total of 1351 histopathological reports on thyroid patients were studied. Twenty one patients (1.6%) had thyroglossal cysts and 1330 patients (98.4%) had goiters. The mean age was 40.6 years (SD±13.25), (range 11-85years). The majority (88%) were females Most of our patients come from Khartoum (76.3%), followed by White Nile (6.4%), and El Gazira states (4.5%). The commonest ethnic groups affected were the Nuba (11.6%) and Jaalin (8%). The majority of patients (85%) had benign thyroid diseases, and only (15%) had neoplastic disease. Simple multinodular goiter (SMNG) accounted for (78.6%) of benign thyroid disease. Follicular adenoma was the commonest benign neoplasm (98%), whereas papillary carcinoma was the commonest malignant tumour (44.9%), followed by follicular carcinoma and Hurthle cell tumours (43.9%). Medullary and anaplastic carcinomas each accounted for (4.1%) of patients.Conclusions The study identified the histopathological pattern of thyroid disease. SMNG was the commonest benign disease. Follicular and Hurtle cell carcinoma combined were almost as frequent as papillary carcinoma. Prevention of SMNG by iodinization, early detection of thyroid neoplasms, and studies on goitrogens should be activated.

Background: Anal fissures and hemorrhoids are common anal conditions. They cause significant morbidity, social embarrassment, and work absenteeism. In addition, they form a significant workload on the healthcare system. Nevertheless, the etiology of these conditions is still contentious. It has been observed that hemorrhoids and anal fissures are associated with prolonged sitting. This study aims to investigate this observation.Methods: This is a case–control study. We compared 81 patients with symptomatic and endoscopically proven hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures with 162 controls with no symptoms or endoscopic evidence of perianal disease. The study was conducted at Khartoum North Teaching Hospital (KNTH) endoscopy unit between January and December 2019. Demographic data, sitting hours per day, and endoscopic findings of patients and controls were recorded in a proforma. The cases and controls were matched for age, sex, and bowel habits. Data were analyzed and compared using the SPSS version 23.Results: The mean sitting hours for cases was 5.99 (SD 3.4) whereas that for controls was 4.0 (SD 3.0) with a highly significant difference (P < 0.001). Sitting for 5 hr or more per day (exposure) was associated with an increased risk of developing hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures [odds ratio 3.68, 95% CI: 2.1–6.47].Conclusion: The study showed that sitting down for 5 hr or more per day might increase the risk of developing hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures. This finding could help in the prevention and treatment of these diseases and the reduction of recurrences.