[Acquired childhood and juvenile subclinical hypothyroidism with or without goitre].
OBJECTIVE
Primary acquired childhood and juvenile hypothyroidism is mainly due to chronic thyroiditis or to the after effects of cervical radiotherapy for cancer. In the presence of clinically evocative signs, with a palpable goitre or firm thyroid, hypothyroidism is searched for. However, cases of childhood and juvenile hypothyroidism without goitre have been described.


METHODS
We retrospectively studied childhood and juvenile sub-clinical hypothyroidism in those in whom antithyroid antibodies had been searched for and thyroid ultrasonographic examination had been performed.


RESULTS
In this age group, we studied 34 cases of subclinical hypothyroidism (plasma TSH: 3.6-20 microIU/ml, normal free thyroxin level). In a first group (17 girls/1 boy, mean age: 14.4 years), 50% of patients had an abnormal palpable thyroid and 100% have auto-immunity markers. In the other group (7 girls/9 boys, mean age: 12.0 years), there was no goitre and no auto-immunity marker had been found. The clinical signs that prompted consultation were identical in the two groups and, if no goitre existed, measurement of TSH levels established the diagnosis of the onset of hypothyroidism.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems that second group patients constituted an unusual entity: predominance of boys, thyroid usually small and lack of auto-immunity markers.
Cordray
Jean-Pierre
JP
Groupe de recherches cliniques en endocrinologie, Paris (75), France.
Nys
Pierre
P
Merceron
Robert-Edouard
RE
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
D001323:Autoantibodies; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine