Thyrotrophin estimation in diagnosis and treatment of childhood thyroid disorders.
Serum thyrotrophin (TSH) was estimated by double-antibody radioimmunoassay in 200 children aged 2 months to 16 years with normal thyroid function. There was no apparent variation in TSH with age or sex and only 4 children had TSH levels greater than 5 muU/ml. High TSH values were obtained in 9 children with primary hypothyroidism, in 3 children with thyroiditis, and in one girl with a lingual thyroid. Moderately raised TSH was found in 3 girls with thyroiditis, 2 brothers with goitres due to enzyme defect, and a girl with an ectopic thyroid. In one girl with a defect of iodine organification and in 3 boys with thyroxine binding globulin deficiency the TSH levels were normal despite very low serum thyroxine values. Serum TSH was also estimated in 20 children during treatment for primary hypothyroidism. 3 of these children showed slightly raised TSH levels despite apparently adequate replacement therapy with L-thyroxine. One girl showed a very high TSH level 3 weeks after treatment had been temporarily withdrawn.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000002:abnormalities; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000175:diagnosis; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013975:Thyroxine-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000172:deficiency
D013975:Thyroxine-Binding Proteins; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine