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Thyroid Digest March 2005

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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. 17, No. 1, 2005), a publication of the American Thyroid Association. Dr. Utiger is the Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Thyroidology.

 

Thyroid Disease

  1. Smokers have less thyroid autoimmunity and lower serum thyrotropin concentrations than nonsmokers
  2. Hypothyroidism is not associated with decreased performance of daily activities or increased mortality in old age

Hyperthyroidism

  1. Patients with hyperthyroidism caused by Graves’ disease have a low quality of life
  2. Propylthiouracil may be more likely to cause agranulocytosis than carbimazole

Ophthalmopathy

  1. Octreotide therapy is not beneficial in patients with Graves’ eye disease

Hypothyroidism

  1. Hypothyroidism rarely contributes to the need for prolonged mechanical ventilation in patients with lung disease

Thyroid Hormone Therapy

  1. Lean body mass is the major determinant of thyroxine dose in patients with hypothyroidism
  2. Triiodothyronine does not augment the effects of paroxetine in patients with depression

Nodular Goiter

  1. Calcifications are more common in thyroid carcinomas than in benign thyroid nodules
  2. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy is of limited value for detection of carcinoma in patients with a multinodular goiter

Thyroid Cancer

  1. Thyroid radioiodine scanning has little value in patients with thyroid carcinoma before first radioiodine therapy
  2. Patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma have a small papillary thyroid carcinoma more often than patients with other thyroid disorders
  3. Serum thyroglobulin values vary according to number and site of metastatic tumor in patients with thyroid carcinoma

Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

  1. High serum antithyroid antibody values are a risk factor for miscarriage
  2. Serum antithyroid antibody concentrations decrease after treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection

Nonthyroidal Illness

  1. Low serum triiodothyronine concentrations are predictor of mortality in patients with heart failure

Thyroiditis

  1. Thyroid size decreased in response to tamoxifen in a patient with Riedel’s thyroiditis

Drug Effects on Thyroid Function

  1. The antithyroid drug methimazole had little effect on thyroid function in patients with psoriasis
  2. Rifampin, an antituberculosis drug, can cause hypothyroidism in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Iodine Deficiency

  1. Children with vitamin A and iodine deficiency have less severe hypothyroidism and more goiter than those with iodine deficiency alone

 

 
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