Clinical and radiological prevalence of skeletal fluorosis among retired employees of Wonji-Shoa sugar estate in Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical and radiological prevalence of skeletal fluorosis among the retired employees of Wonji-Shoa sugar estate.

DESIGN

Retrospective and cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Wonji-Shoa sugar estate, an agro-industrial estate located in the Ethiopian Rift Valley.

SUBJECTS: Two hundred and sixty three employees of the estate who retired between 1995 and 1996.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical evidence of impaired squatting, neck and lumbar mobility, kyphosis, and X-ray evidence of fluorosis.

RESULTS

Skeletal fluorosis was more evident among the males (p<0.05), and the prevalence was higher among the factory and the agricultural workers than among the administrative workers (p<0.05). Clinical prevalence was 20% versus the radiological prevalence of 70.3%, indicating that many cases were asymptomatic. Impaired neck and lumbar mobility and impaired squatting significantly agreed with the radiological diagnosis (p<0.05) while kyphosis was not.

CONCLUSION

Further clinical and epidemiological studies are suggested and strengthening of the existing defluoridation programmes within the area is recommended.