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Thyroid Digest November 2004

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Recently Published Thyroid Research

This Thyroid Digest describing published research studies were prepared by Robert D. Utiger, M.D. from summaries of original research articles. The summaries were published in Clinical Thyroidology (Vol. 16, issue 3, 2004) a publication of the American Thyroid Association. Dr. Utiger is the Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Thyroidology.

 

Thyroid Disease

  1. The number of new cases of thyroid dysfunction was steady in a community in Scotland during the 1990s

Hyperthyroidism

  1. The major risk factors for atrial fibrillation in patients with hyperthyroidism are older age and male sex
  2. Bone density is low in women with hyperthyroidism, but is restored to normal by treatment
  3. Patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism may have transient recurrences that subside spontaneously
  4. Radioactive iodine is an effective and safe treatment for children and adolescents with hyperthyroidism
  5. Patients with antithyroid drug–induced agranulocytosis may have normal white blood cell counts

Hypothyroidism

  1. Subclinical hypothyroidism may disappear or progress to overt hypothyroidism
  2. Thyrotropin and other pituitary hormone deficiencies may occur after head trauma or bleeding
  3. Pregnancy increases the requirement for thyroxine in women with hypothyroidism

Thyroid Cancer

  1. Papillary thyroid carcinomas have mutations in the BRAF gene that can be detected in biopsy specimens
  2. Gene profiling can distinguish between papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas and benign thyroid nodules
  3. A few thyroid nodules are tumors of other organs that have spread to the thyroid gland
  4. Radioactive iodine therapy may reduce the risk of recurrence of papillary and follicular carcinoma after surgery

Thyroid Testing

  1. Serum thyrotropin values in nearly 1000 normal adults varied no more than in smaller groups

Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

  1. Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection often have thyroid disorders

Nonthyroidal Illness

  1. Serum thyroid hormone concentrations fall in thyroxine-treated patients during acute nonthyroidal illness

Thyroid Function in Pregnancy

  1. High serum thyroid hormone concentrations in pregnant women are associated with increased fetal loss and low birth weight

Drug Effects on Thyroid Function

  1. Radiographic contrast agents have little acute effect on pituitary–thyroid function
  2. Dopamine, but not dobutamine or dopexamine, inhibits thyrotropin secretion

Thyroid Hormone Action

  1. Thyronamines are naturally occurring metabolites of thyroid hormone that inhibit neural and cardiac function in animals

 

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