[Sublingual thyroid gland associated with polycystic ovaries]

To describe a young woman with polycystic ovary syndrome and a lingual thyroid gland.

A 19-year old woman with secondary amenorrhea whose previous history had been uneventful. She had a normal spontaneous puberty with menarche at 13 years, followed by cyclical menstruations until six months before, when a period of four months of amenorrhea occurred. Physical exploration disclosed a normal young adult woman, without goiter, galactorrhea, acne, nor hirsutism. A pelvic ultrasound showed bilateral enlargement of the ovaries. Hormonal studies showed FSH 4 mUl/mL (nl = 2-12), LH 6 mUl/mL (nl = 2-14) and PRL 12 ng/mL (nl = < 25); TSH 8 microU/mL (nl < 5) and a free thyroxine level of 8.4 ng/dl (nl = 0.75-1.8). A thyroid gammagram with radioiodine disclosed a 6% caption (nl = 8.15%) and a small nodular gland at the base of the tongue.

Levothyroxine 100 micrograms/day was initiated and a month later the TSH level was normal but cyclical menstruations were not established after six months of follow up.

The polycystic ovary syndrome is the main endocrine cause of secondary amenorrhea in young women.