[The clinical picture of latent hypothyroidism in women]

The authors investigated the most frequent clinical symptoms in a group of 132 women with latent hypothyroidism (mean age 40.2 years, incl. 102 women younger than 45 years). They assessed the diagnosis on the basis of an excessive TSH response after administration of 0.2 mg thyreoliberin by the i.v. route (TRH test), while the thyroxine values were normal (TSH 0 min.: 4.93 +/- 3.55, TSH after 20 min. following TRH: 39.27 +/- 18.28 mIU/ml, T4: 102.0 +/- 25.02 nmol/l). Forty-one patients (31%) had goitrectomy in the case-history. USG examination of 70 patients revealed goitre in 13 (18.6%) reduced echogenity of the thyroid gland in 20 (28.6%) and microcysts in 31 (44.2%) of the patients. Analysis of the clinical symptoms revealed manifestations of a depressive symptomatology in 56 patients (40.3%), benign mammary dysplasia in 39 patients (29%). In the subgroup of women younger than 45 years an impaired menstrual cycle was recorded in 49 (48%) and galactorrhoea in 10 patients (9.8%). After thyroid substitution (L-thyroxine 50 micrograms/day) they observed in the majority normalization of the menstrual cycle and partial improvement of depressive manifestations.