Short-term effect of iodine contrast medium on thyroid function: a prospective cohort study.

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Radiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Iodinated contrast media (ICM) administration during medical imaging poses a risk of excess iodine intake.
• Potential short-term effects of ICM on thyroid function in Chinese populations remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the short-term effects of ICM exposure on thyroid function in a Chinese population.
• To determine the relationship between urinary iodine levels and contrast agent dose.
• To assess the recovery of thyroid function post-ICM exposure.

Main Methods:

• 200 patients receiving intravenous ICM had thyroid function assessed pre-exposure, 1 week, and 1 month post-infusion.
• Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and contrast agent (CA) dose were analyzed.
• Patients with thyroid dysfunction were followed up for 3 months.

Main Results:

• Urinary iodine levels peaked at 1 week post-ICM, showing a weak positive correlation with free thyroxine (FT4).
• A higher contrast agent dose weakly correlated with lower anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) levels.
• Patients with thyroid nodules had an increased risk of subclinical hyperthyroidism (OR = 2.1491, p=0.0465).

Conclusions:

• ICM exposure can transiently increase the risk of subclinical hyperthyroidism, particularly in patients with pre-existing thyroid nodules.
• The observed thyroid function abnormalities were generally temporary, with most patients recovering spontaneously within 3 months without intervention.