[Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with Turner's syndrome]

Studies concerning adult female patients with Turner's syndrome demonstrated that the impairment of the thyroid function is more often found in these patients than in the general female population. This is primarily related to a greater frequency of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Thyroid function was studied in a group of 23 female patients with Turner's syndrome, aged 7 to 24 years. Mean age was 15.6 years. Twelve patients had the karyotype 45X, three had mosaics 45X/46XX, one had the karyotype 45X/47XXX, while 7 had different structural X chromosome anomalies. They were all clinically euthyroid, except one which had plasma thyroxine (T4) values somewhat lower, and three which had plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations somewhat higher than normal levels which could correspond to the so-called "subclinical" or "compensated" hypothyroidism. Elevated thyroid autoantibodies (TAA) were found in nine patients, whereas only two of these patients had goiter, simultaneously. It may perhaps be concluded that in female patients with Turner's syndrome, the atrophic form of autoimmune thyroiditis is more frequent than that associated with goiter (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), the latter being more prevalent in younger age groups in the general population. In view to the possible progression to hypothyreosis and the need for substitution therapy, the necessity of regular thyroid function follow-up especially in patients with positive TAA titers is emphasized. This is particularly important in female patients of younger age who are still in their growth and development period and in whom low thyroid hormone concentrations may lead to even greater growth retardation which is already compromised with the principal disease.