title: Prevalence of thyroid diseases in patients with acromegaly: experience of a Brazilian center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acromegaly is frequently associated with thyroid diseases. In this study, we evaluated the frequency of thyroid disorders in a series of acromegalic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 106 acromegalic patients using thyroid ultrasonography (US) and measurements of GH, IGF-I, free T4, TSH and anti-thyroperoxidase antibody levels. IGF-I was expressed in mass units and age-related standard deviation scores (SD-scores). Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was performed on thyroid nodules with a diameter greater than one centimeter or with suspicious characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thyroid disorders were found in 75 patients. Eleven patients had diffuse goiter, 42 patients had nodular goiter, and 22 patients had unspecific morphological abnormalities. Four patients (3.8%) had thyroid carcinoma. Considering the patients with diffuse or nodular goiter, thyroid volume was greater in patients with active acromegaly, and was positively correlated with GH, IGF-I, and IGF-I SD-score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirmed that benign thyroid diseases are frequent in acromegalic patients. The prevalence of thyroid cancer was higher than in the overall population. We suggest that thyroid US should be routinely performed in patients with acromegaly.
authors.forename: Helena Bandeira de Melo Paiva
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Uchoa
authors.forename: Giovanna Aparecida Balarini
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Lívia Lugarinho
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.forename: Ana Paula Sieiro
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Suzana Aquino
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cavallieri
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaisman
authors.forename: Alexandru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buescu
authors.forename: Mônica Roberto
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gadelha
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase