Ultrasound appearance of thyroid tissue in hypothyroid infants.
OBJECTIVE
To identify those infants who need a higher starting dose of levothyroxine (l-T4) for early normalization of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level.


METHODS
TSH levels at 2 time points (1 to 3 weeks and 3 to 5 weeks) after l-T4 therapy at a starting dose of 8 to 12 microg/kg/day were evaluated retrospectively in 22 hypothyroid infants screened for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in terms of etiology as determined by ultrasonography (US), the size of distal femoral epiphysis (DFE), and initial thyroid function.


RESULTS
The infants with a noneutopic thyroid or small DFE exhibited significantly higher posttherapeutic TSH levels compared with the other infants. Eight of the 9 infants who failed to achieve normalized TSH values at 1 to 3 weeks had noneutopic thyroid. All of the infants with eutopic thyroid exhibited normalized TSH at 3 to 5 weeks, and a significantly greater proportion of the infants with eutopic thyroid exhibited normalized TSH at 1 to 3 weeks compared with those with noneutopic thyroid. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that US etiology was a significant independent variable for normalization of TSH at 1 to 3 weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
US examination to identify eutopic or noneutopic thyroid provides useful information for determining the starting dose of l-T4 in hypothyroid infants.
Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. eogawaster@gmail.com
Eishin
E
Ogawa
Kanako
K
Kojima-Ishii
Ikuma
I
Fujiwara
D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine