title: Thyroid function, autoimmunity and nodules in hematological malignancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hematological malignancies encompass a large spectrum of disease entities whose treatment by chemo/radiotherapy could lead to thyroid complications. To the best of our knowledge, no study has simultaneously addressed thyroid function, autoimmunity and nodularity. Therefore, we decided to conduct one.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 82 Caucasian patients (36 women and 46 men), who were treated at our Oncology division for hematological malignancies (multiple myeloma, chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphatic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and polycythemia vera) and compared them with a control group of 104 patients. Patients who had received or were receiving external head/neck radiotherapy were excluded. All oncological patients and control individuals underwent thyroid ultrasonography and thyroid function and autoimmunity tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A lower prevalence of enlarged thyroid and nodules were found in patients with respect to controls. The rate of thyroid nodules was the highest in multiple myeloma and polycythemia vera, and the lowest in chronic lymphatic leukemia. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients had the smallest thyroid nodules while men with multiple myeloma the biggest ones. No patient had hypothyroidism, while 5.6% of patients had subclinical hyperthyroidism. In contrast, within the control group the rates of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, overt and subclinical, were 3.8%, 20.2%, 0% and 0% respectively. Moreover, the overall rate of thyroid autoantibody positiveness in patients was significantly lower than controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our experience, we found a significantly lower prevalence of thyroid abnormalities in hematologic patients who underwent chemotherapy, but not radiotherapy, with respect to controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mondello
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sindoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pitini
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scisca
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Altavilla
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benvenga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D013963:Thyroid Hormones