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Ectopic thyroid gland. A clinical study of 30 children and review
Insights
Ectopic thyroid glands were found in 24% of children with primary hypothyroidism. Early diagnosis and treatment within two years of life significantly improve growth and mental function in these pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Nuclear Medicine
Background:
- Primary hypothyroidism in children can be associated with thyroid dysgenesis.
- Ectopic thyroid tissue is a common cause of congenital hypothyroidism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of ectopic thyroid glands in children with primary hypothyroidism.
- To evaluate the impact of early diagnosis and treatment on growth and neurodevelopment.
Main Methods:
- Radioactive iodine (131I) uptake tests were performed on 108 children with primary hypothyroidism.
- Clinical findings, bone age, growth, and mental function were assessed.
- Correlation between treatment initiation timing and outcomes was analyzed.
Main Results:
- 26% of children with primary hypothyroidism had ectopic thyroid glands.
- Growth retardation and delayed bone age were common clinical findings.
- Early treatment (within 2 years) led to normal growth in 83% of patients, compared to 50% for later treatment.
Conclusions:
- Ectopic thyroid glands are a significant finding in pediatric primary hypothyroidism.
- Timely diagnosis and initiation of thyroid hormone replacement therapy are crucial for optimal neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes in affected children.
Abstract:
Of 108 children being treated at our Institute for primary (nongoitrous) hypothyroidism, tests with radioactive iodine 131I uptake showed that 26 of them (24%) had an ectopic thyroid gland. Four euthyroid children also had anterior swellings of the neck which, in each case, proved to be an ectopic thyroid gland. Of the 30 children studied, 20 were girls and 10 were boys. Nine patients were diagnosed within the first year of life. Growth retardation, manifest in 20 patients, was the most common clinical finding at the time of diagnosis. Delayed bone age was a feature in all of them. Growth, after diagnosis was within normal limits in 83% of the infants who were treated within the first two years of life; only 50% of the children diagnosed later grew within normal limits. Similarly, mental function was best preserved in those patients in whom treatment was initiated within the first two years of life.