title: Does Ventriculoperitoneal Shunting Improve Thyroid Hormone Levels in Hydrocephalic Newborns?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this report was to investigate the effect of ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion for the treatment of hydrocephalus on thyroid hormones in the first 3 months of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T3 (fT3), and free T4 (fT4) levels were compared at 7 days (preoperatively) and at 30 and 90 days (postoperatively) after birth between 25 ventriculoperitoneal shunt-inserted hydrocephalic newborns and 20 healthy newborns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TSH level at 7 days was higher in the hydrocephalic patient group (6.33 µIU) compared to the control group (3.76 µIU). This value was significantly decreased at 90 days in the ventriculoperitoneal shunt-inserted newborns (2.35 µIU) compared to the control group (3.33 µIU; p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between time points for fT4 and fT3 values in the patient group or for TSH, fT4, and fT3 values in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that a ventriculoperitoneal shunt inserted in the early period of life may have beneficial effects on thyroid hormones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Adiyaman University Education and Research Hospital, Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Necati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ucler
authors.forename: Fatih Serhat
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: Sait
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Bekir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akgun
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Yasar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sen
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000639:trends*
chemical_list: D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine