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Recenti Progressi in Medicina Jun 2022Thyroid diseases play a crucial role in conditions of infertility and recurrent miscarriages. We here reported a case of a 34 years old woman, affected by autoimmune...
Thyroid diseases play a crucial role in conditions of infertility and recurrent miscarriages. We here reported a case of a 34 years old woman, affected by autoimmune thyroiditis with subclinical hypothyroidism. The patient previously had a miscarriage and she was planning another pregnancy. Therefore, she started levothyroxine (LT4) therapy. However, despite optimal TSH levels, she did not get pregnant and she underwent medically assisted procreation. During stimulation, TSH levels slightly increased and LT4 therapy has been increased to reach optimal TSH. After the conception, a monthly biochemical evaluation of the thyroid function test has been performed, with further adjustments of LT4 therapy, until the 30th week of pregnancy. In the post-partum period, LT4 therapy has been reduced and periodical biochemical evaluation has been performed. The case confirms the importance of the thyroid function evaluation during fertile age to obtain optimal TSH levels, with the aims to favorite the conception and to assure a favorable pregnancy outcome.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Thyroid Function Tests; Thyrotropin; Thyroxine
PubMed: 35758123
DOI: 10.1701/3827.38156 -
American Family Physician Jun 2022
Topics: Adenomyosis; Borderline Personality Disorder; Comorbidity; Female; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis C; Humans; Hypotension; Postpartum Thyroiditis; Pruritus; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
PubMed: 35704817
DOI: No ID Found -
Nutrients May 2022Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and a pivotal role in thyroid metabolism. Ensuring a sufficient Se supply... (Review)
Review
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and a pivotal role in thyroid metabolism. Ensuring a sufficient Se supply is possible via a balanced, wholesome diet; however, Se content in foods may be different throughout geographical areas. Se supplementation is expected to improve inflammatory status in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, especially in those with high activity, and has been demonstrated as effective in reducing the thyroid peroxidase antibodies titer. Se status seems to affect thyroid function in pregnancy, which prompts the potential role of Se supplementation in such patients. Few clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of Se supplementation in pregnant women with thyroiditis, and their results suggest the safety and effectiveness of this element in reducing autoantibody levels and preventing postpartum thyroiditis development, although limited. Hence, more robust evidence is needed to confirm these data. The current study aims to summarize published data on the relationship between Se and thyroid status in pregnant women with thyroiditis and the potential use of Se. Moreover, an algorithm for Se supplementation is proposed for pregnant women with thyroiditis to help endocrinologists in daily clinical practice to consider Se status.
Topics: Dietary Supplements; Female; Hashimoto Disease; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women; Selenium; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune
PubMed: 35684035
DOI: 10.3390/nu14112234 -
European Thyroid Journal May 2022Thyroid function tests (TFT) are extensively used in daily clinical practice. Here, we described a case of incongruent TFT both in a pregnant woman and in her newborn.
INTRODUCTION
Thyroid function tests (TFT) are extensively used in daily clinical practice. Here, we described a case of incongruent TFT both in a pregnant woman and in her newborn.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 32-year-old woman, diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis during her first pregnancy, was monitored during her second gestation. At week 5 + 2 days, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) values (Dimension VISTA 1500, Siemens Healthineers) were within normal limits. At week 19 + 5 days, TSH remained normal while FT4 increased approximately by three-fold. FT4 inconsistency was with both TSH and the clinical status since she continued to be clinically euthyroid. On the same serum sample, thyroid autoantibodies were negative. At week 25 + 4 days, the patient complained of palpitations and dyspnea, with tachycardia. Even though TSH was normal, high levels of both FT4 and free triiodothyronine (FT3) were interpreted as evidence of thyroid overactivity and methimazole was started. TFT of the pregnant woman continued to be monitored throughout gestation. Postpartum FT4 and FT3 gradually returned to normal. TFT, performed on the daughter's serum, 3 days after birth, showed the same inconsistency as her mother but without clinical signs of congenital hyperthyroidism. Based on the clinical and laboratory setting, the presence of circulating autoantibodies against T3 and T4 (THAb) was suspected and demonstrated by radioimmunoprecipitation.
CONCLUSION
Analytical interferences should be supposed when TFT do not fit with the clinical picture and despite their infrequency, THAb must also be considered. To our knowledge, this is the first case describing the passage of THAb to the newborn.
PubMed: 35521782
DOI: 10.1530/ETJ-21-0088 -
Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 2022COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome. Recent reports showed that autoimmune thyroiditis might occur following COVID-19 infection. We aimed to review the... (Review)
Review
COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome. Recent reports showed that autoimmune thyroiditis might occur following COVID-19 infection. We aimed to review the literature to assess the prevalence, clinical features and outcome of autoimmune thyroid disorders triggered by COVID-19. We reviewed case reports, case series, and observational studies of autoimmune thyroiditis including Graves' disease, Hashimoto thyroiditis, and silent thyroiditis developed in COVID-19 patients by searching PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science and included in the systematic review. Our search yielded no prevalence study. We noted 20 reported cases: Fourteen cases of Graves' disease, 5 cases of hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis and one case of postpartum thyroiditis. The majority (16/20, 80%) were middle-aged (mean age: 40 years) female patients. Autoimmune thyroiditis was diagnosed either concomitantly or 7-90 days after the COVID-19 infection. Eight out of 14 cases with Graves' disease had a known thyroid disorder and they were stable in remission. One out of 5 cases with Hashimoto's thyroiditis had known prior hypothyroidism. The majority of the patients achieved remission within 3 months. One patient with thyroid storm due to Graves' disease and one patient with myxedema coma have died. Current data suggest that COVID-19 may cause autoimmune thyroid disease or exacerbate the underlying thyroid disease in remission. It is reasonable to routinely assess the thyroid functions both in the acute phase and during the convalescence so as not to overlook a thyroid disorder and not to delay treatment especially in patients with preexisting autoimmune thyroid diseases.
Topics: Adult; COVID-19; Female; Graves Disease; Hashimoto Disease; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Middle Aged; Thyroiditis; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune
PubMed: 35307540
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2022.102314 -
BMJ Case Reports Mar 2022Steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT) is a rare condition characterised by neuropsychiatric symptoms, presence of antithyroid...
Steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT) is a rare condition characterised by neuropsychiatric symptoms, presence of antithyroid antibodies and significant response to steroid therapy. Postpartum psychosis (PP), although having a low prevalence, is a psychiatrical emergency with potentially serious impact in the mother and children. PP has an atypical presentation when compared with affective or psychotic episodes unrelated to pregnancy. Autoimmune dysfunction is frequent in the postpartum period and is closely related to PP. We report a case of a primiparous woman in her 20s with PP who did not respond to initial treatment with antipsychotics. After reassessment, SREAT was considered in the differential diagnosis. Neuropsychiatric symptoms improved dramatically after 72 hours of treatment with high-dose steroids treatment and the patient was discharged after 16 days. In women with PP, an autoimmune cause must be ruled out before assuming a psychiatry aetiology.
Topics: Child; Encephalitis; Female; Hashimoto Disease; Humans; Postpartum Period; Psychotic Disorders; Steroids
PubMed: 35288425
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2021-246199 -
Endocrine Practice : Official Journal... Jun 2022Women with hypothyroidism need to increase exogenous thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy to reduce adverse outcomes. Few studies have reported the effect of...
OBJECTIVE
Women with hypothyroidism need to increase exogenous thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy to reduce adverse outcomes. Few studies have reported the effect of gestational levothyroxine (LT4) variations on postpartum LT4 treatment.
METHODS
Women were classified as having subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) (n = 101), overt hypothyroidism (OH) caused by autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT-OH), OH following thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disease (BA-OH) (n = 66), and OH after surgery for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC-OH) (n = 46). Thyroid function was monitored, and LT4 therapy was adjusted accordingly.
RESULTS
After delivery, all women with SCH stopped LT4 treatment, and 57.4% of them restarted LT4 treatment in the following 1 year, independently of the gestational LT4 variations. Among patients with OH, after adjusted by gestational body weight, 49.1% of them had LT4 doses less than the prepregnancy dose (baseline) in late pregnancy, leading to LT4 reduction in postpartum. The LT4 dose was reduced to approximately 50% baseline for women with AIT-OH and BA-OH and reduced by 27% for women with PTC-OH. The reduction reasons for AIT-OH and BA-OH were thyroid-stimulating hormone levels of <2.5 mU/L during pregnancy and postpartum thyrotoxicosis occurrence (39.4%), and for PTC-OH, the reason was thyroid-stimulating hormone overinhibition (<1.0 mU/L) before delivery.
CONCLUSION
For patients with SCH, postpartum LT4 treatment could initially be suspended. For women with OH, if the LT4 dose in late pregnancy was less than baseline, a prepregnancy dose reduced by 50%, 50%, and 27% should be applied after delivery for women with AIT-OH, BA-OH, and PTC-OH, respectively.
Topics: Female; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyrotropin; Thyroxine
PubMed: 35278704
DOI: 10.1016/j.eprac.2022.03.002 -
Best Practice & Research. Clinical... Mar 2023Women with thyroid autoimmunity (TAI), predominately characterized by increased levels of thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), are at risk for developing pregnancy... (Review)
Review
Women with thyroid autoimmunity (TAI), predominately characterized by increased levels of thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), are at risk for developing pregnancy related complications. In this review, we discuss the importance of TAI during natal and perinatal stages. Before pregnancy, TAI is associated with higher mean serum TSH levels and certain causes of subfertility. During pregnancy, TAI increases the risk of an insufficient response of the thyroid to an increasing strain induced by pregnancy, and consequently (subclinical) hypothyroidism might develop. Euthyroid women with TAI have a higher rate of maternal and foetal complications, but it seems that causality cannot be pinned down to thyroid dysfunction alone. Almost half of the women known with TAI prior to pregnancy will also develop post-partum thyroiditis (PPT). However, any relation between PPT and post-partum depression remains uncertain. More research is required to explain possible associations between TAI and pregnancy morbidities, and studies should focus on a better understanding of TAI as such. Given the many unanswered questions, at present, it is not recommended to screen all (potentially) pregnant women for the presence of TAI.
Topics: Female; Pregnancy; Humans; Autoimmunity; Hypothyroidism; Autoantibodies; Thyroid Diseases; Pregnancy Complications
PubMed: 35256265
DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2022.101632 -
Journal of Endocrinological... Aug 2022To review the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of postpartum thyroid dysfunction, and related management of thyroid disorders during lactation. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
To review the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of postpartum thyroid dysfunction, and related management of thyroid disorders during lactation.
METHODS
We reviewed the literature on postpartum thyroid dysfunction and management of thyroid disorders during lactation.
RESULTS
The postpartum period is characterized by a rebound from the immunotolerance induced by pregnancy. Routine thyroid function screening is not recommended for asymptomatic women in the postpartum period. Testing thyroid function should be considered at 6-12-week postpartum for high-risk populations, including women with a previous episode of postpartum thyroiditis, Graves' disease, or those with Hashimoto's thyroiditis on thyroid hormone replacement, known thyroid peroxidase antibody positivity, type 1 diabetes mellitus, other nonthyroidal autoimmune disease, or chronic hepatitis C. A serum TSH should also be checked in the setting of postpartum depression or difficulty lactating. If patients have thyrotoxicosis, new-onset or recurrent Graves' disease must be differentiated from postpartum thyroiditis, because the management differs. Periodic thyroid function testing is recommended following recovery from postpartum thyroiditis due to high lifetime risk of developing permanent hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine, and the lowest effective dose of antithyroid drugs, (propylthiouracil, methimazole, and carbimazole) can be safely used in lactating women. The use of radiopharmaceutical scanning is avoided during lactation and radioactive iodine treatment is contraindicated.
CONCLUSIONS
Diagnosing postpartum thyroid dysfunction is challenging, because symptoms may be subtle. A team approach involving primary care providers, endocrinologists, and obstetricians is essential for transitioning thyroid care from the gestational to the postpartum setting.
Topics: Female; Graves Disease; Humans; Iodine Radioisotopes; Lactation; Postpartum Period; Postpartum Thyroiditis; Pregnancy; Puerperal Disorders; Thyroid Diseases; Thyroid Neoplasms
PubMed: 35181848
DOI: 10.1007/s40618-022-01762-1 -
Hormone and Metabolic Research =... Feb 2022The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) on maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes in...
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) on maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes in pregnant women. A total of 296 singleton pregnant women were classified into four groups according to the thyroid auto-antibody in the first trimester. Finally, there were 97 women in TPOAb positive group (TPOAb+/TgAb-), 35 in TgAb positive group (TPOAb-/TgAb+), 85 in TPOAb and TgAb positive group (TPOAb+/TgAb+), and 79 in TPOAb and TgAb negative group (TPOAb-/TgAb-). Thyroid function, TPOAb, and TgAb were checked during pregnancy and followed up at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months postpartum. Levothyroxine sodium tablets could be taken to maintain euthyroid antepartum. Thyroid function of women with postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) were followed up at 2 and 3 years postpartum. We observed the incidence of PPT, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), placental abruption, placenta previa, polyhydramnios, oligohydramnios, postpartum hemorrhage, preterm birth, and low birth Weight in the four groups. 19.93% of the women had PPT. The incidence of PPT in TPOAb+/TgAb-, TPOAb-/TgAb+, TPOAb+/TgAb+groups was significantly higher than that in TPOAb-/TgAb- group, respectively (16.49 vs. 6.33%, 22.86 vs. 6.33%, 35.29 vs. 6.33%, p <0.05). The incidence of PPT in TPOAb+/TgAb+group was significantly higher than that in TPOAb+/TgAb- group (35.29 vs. 16.49%, p <0.01). PPT occurred as early as 6 weeks postpartum, but mainly at 3 and 6 months postpartum in the four groups (62.50%, 75.00%, 70.00%, 80.00%). All PPT in TPOAb-/TgAb- group occurred within 6 months postpartum, while it was found at 9 months or 12 months postpartum in other three groups. There was no classical form of PPT in TPOAb-/TgAb- group, while in the other three groups, all three types (classical form, isolated thyrotoxicosis, isolated hypothyroidism) existed. At 2 years postpartum of the women with PPT, the rate of euthyroidism in TPOAb+/TgAb+group was significantly lower than that in TPOAb-/TgAb- group (p <0.05). At 3 years postpartum of the women with PPT, the rate of euthyroidism in TPOAb+/TgAb-, TPOAb-/TgAb+, and TPOAb+/TgAb+groups were significantly lower than that in TPOAb-/TgAb- group (p <0.05). The values of TPOAb and TgAb postpartum were significantly higher than those during pregnancy (p <0.05). The incidence of PROM in TPOAb+/TgAb- group was significantly higher than that in TPOAb-/TgAb- group (32.99 vs. 17.72%, p <0.05). The binary logistic regression for PPT showed that the OR value of TPOAb was 2.263 (95% CI 1.142-4.483, p=0.019). The OR value of TgAb was 3.112 (95% CI 1.700-5.697, p=0.000). In conclusion, pregnant women with positive thyroid auto-antibodies had an increased risk of PPT and a reduced rate of euthyroidism at 2 and 3 years postpartum. TPOAb is associated with the incidence of PROM. Both of TPOAb and TgAb were independent risk factors for PPT. TgAb deserves more attention when studying autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) combined with pregnancy.
Topics: Autoantibodies; Female; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Infant, Newborn; Iodide Peroxidase; Placenta; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women; Premature Birth; Thyroglobulin
PubMed: 35130568
DOI: 10.1055/a-1731-7572