title: Primary hypothyroidism due to leukemic infiltration of the thyroid gland.
abstract: We describe a patient with acute B-lymphocyte lymphoblastic leukemia who developed laboratory changes (not detectable free thyroxine, TSH 66 microIU/ml) suggesting severe primary hypothyroidism. Histological examination at autopsy showed massive leukemic infiltration of the thyroid gland: the progressive reduction of thyroid hormone levels with concomitant increase in TSH levels observed over a three-month period from the onset of the hemopathy suggests a cause-effect relationship between leukemic infiltration of the thyroid gland and hypothyroidism.
authors.affiliation: Ospedale Fatebenefratelli-Oftalmico, III Divisione di Medicina, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Foresti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parisio
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scolari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ungaro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Confalonieri
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*