[Influence of thyroid morphology on psychomotor development in patients with congenital hypothyroidism during 8 year follow-up].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to evaluate the impact of thyroid morphology on auxological and neuropsychological development in children affected by congenital hypothyroidism (CH), treated with levothyroxine, up to 8 years of age.


METHODS
Fifty-three children affected by CH divided into 3 groups on the basis of thyroid morphology determined at birth: patients with athyreosis (N=17), with ectopic gland (N=23), with in situ thyroid (N=13). The developmental quotient (DQ) was evaluated by the Brunet-Lezine test up to 3 years, and intelligent quotient (IQ) by the Terman-Merril test after 3 years of age.


RESULTS
DQs at one year in athyreotic patients are lower (P<0,05) as compared to those determined in patients with other thyroid morphology. Later on these patients still showed lower DQ and IQ values than in other groups, although statistically not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Thyroid morphology seems to be fundamental in psychomotor development, in fact patients with athyreosis show a transient impairment at one year of age. This difference could be transient or to have repercussions on adult. Individualization of the starting dose of levothyroxine on the basis of thyroid morphology, could be useful.
Franceschi
R
R
Dipartimento Materno Infantile e di Biologia-Genetica, Sezione di Pediatria, Università di Verona, Verona, Italia. robertofranceschi@yahoo.it
Cavarzere
P
P
Gaudino
R
R
Monti
E
E
Perlini
S
S
Vanzati
M
M
Camilot
M
M
Teofoli
F
F
Antoniazzi
F
F
Lauriola
S
S
Albertini
C
C
Tatò
L
L
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors