Medical expert of the article
New publications
Acquired hypothyroidism
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Primary acquired hypothyroidism develops as a result of endemic iodine deficiency, autoimmune thyroiditis, thyroid gland surgery, inflammatory and tumor thyroid diseases, uncontrolled therapy with thyreostatic drugs in thyrotoxicosis.
Secondary acquired hypothyroidism may be the result of various damages to the pituitary gland during birth trauma, inflammatory and traumatic brain damage, operative and radiation hypophysectomy.
[Symptoms of acquired hypothyroidism
Clinical manifestations depend on the age of the child at the onset of the disease and the degree of impaired function. The older the child, the less hypothyroidism is reflected in growth and intellectual development. However, dry skin, constipation, bradycardia, reduction of intellectual activity, slowing or cessation of growth require inspection child mandatory determination of serum T 3, T 4 and TTG. A constant symptom of a severe form of hypothyroidism is a kind of mucous edema of the skin, most often localized in the forehead, eyelids, lips, cheeks. Because of the edema of the eyelids, the eye gap becomes narrow, facial features become smoother, facial expression becomes meager. Due to the water retention in the body, the body weight increases.
Diagnosis of acquired hypothyroidism
The diagnosis is made when determining the lowered levels of thyroxin and triiodothyronine in the blood serum. The level of TSH is elevated for primary hypothyroidism and is reduced in cerebral hypothyroidism. An auxiliary value in diagnosis is hypercholesterolemia, bradycardia, bone age delay according to the radiograph of radiocarpal joints.
Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis is performed with all diseases accompanied by growth retardation.
What do need to examine?
How to examine?
Who to contact?
Treatment of acquired hypothyroidism
Treatment of acquired hypothyroidism (regardless of the cause that caused it) is carried out by levothyroxine sodium. The initial dose of the drug is 25 mcg per day, the drug is taken once a day in the morning on an empty stomach. Subsequently, the dose is increased weekly by 25 μg to the maximum tolerated hormonal content in the blood serum. On average, the daily dose ranges from 50 to 150 mcg, depending on the need.
Drugs
Prognosis of acquired hypothyroidism
The prognosis for the light acquired forms of hypothyroidism, manifested in preschool and school age, is quite favorable. Timely diagnosis and adequate replacement therapy level the clinical symptoms of the disease and determine the normal indicators of physical development.
Использованная литература