[Diagnostic significance of blood thyroglobulin determination]

Thyroglobulin (Tg) is a protein which is synthesized in the thyroid. In healthy individuals only minute amounts of Tg can be found in the serum. In patients with thyroid disorders serum Tg levels are usually elevated, but the extent of this increase gives no indication of the nature of the underlying disease. Measurement of serum Tg is an established method in screening for thyroid disorders and in follow-up of patients with differentiated carcinomas of the thyroid. It seems likely that serum Tg determinations will also prove useful for other purposes (e.g. as an aid in deciding whether to treat a simple goiter by thyroid hormone administration or surgery).