[Perinatal and maternal pathology in 38 pregnant women with endemic goiter]

In a group of 38 pregnant women with primary, uni- or multinodular non-toxic endemic goitre, who were clinically euthyroid, 7.8% (3 cases) had previously undergone strumectomy for benign pathologies of the goitre and 10.5% (4 cases) received L-thyroxine therapy during pregnancy at a dose of 50 or 100 micrograms/day; during the course of pregnancy goitre was asymptomatic in 37 women (97.4%) and an endocystic hemorrhage occurred in 1 (2.6%) case. The goitre increased in volume in 42.1% (16 cases) of pregnant women monitored to term. Out of 20 patients undergoing ELISA of hormonal levels, 6 (30%) revealed TSH concentration more than twice the maximum normal value with normal concentrations of other thyroid hormones. There was a significant inverse correlation (r = 0.525) between T4 and TSH. Birth at term occurred at 39.9 +/- 2.6 weeks and was spontaneous in 78.9% of cases (30 cases) and laparotomic in 21.1% (8 cases). Perinatal pathologies included: 1 case (2.6%) of endo-uterine fetal death, 1 case of oligoamnios and 1 of IUGR. Funicular pathologies were observed in 13.1% of patients (5 cases). The Apgar index was > 8 in the 37 live births. The mean weight of male and female neonates and neonates from nulliparas and pluriparas was within the norm. When the data examined were compared to the results of the control group it was seen that there were no statistically significant differences.