[Comparative analysis of existing criteria in the assessment of iodine-deficiency in dwellers of the Far North areas].

New standards of the thyroid volume proposed by F. Delange (1977) are now being introduced. In view of this, we compared incidence of goiter by F. Delange and by R. Gutekunst (1988) criteria. The examination covered 3920 schoolchildren in 12 settlements of the Tyumen region in 1996. Iodine deficiency was mild to moderate. The greatest deficiency was observed in the North. Ultrasonic investigation of the thyroid by standards of R. Gutekunst (1988) was also indicative of the greatest iodine deficiency in the North. In the Far North, Polar Urals there was severe goiter endemia, in the rest areas the endemy was moderate. By F. Delange (1977) criteria, mild and moderate endemy was in the Far North and Polar Urals, the endemy was absent in the rest areas. As shown by comparison of the palpation data to thyroid ultrasonography, iodinuria, R. Gutekunst criteria are more reliable whereas criteria of F. Delange provide overestimated data.