12 research outputs found
Final height and Pubertal development in congenital hypothyroidism before and after neonatal screening programs.
Due casi falsi negativi con forma classica allo screening neonatale per la sindrome adreno-genitale congenita della Regione Emilia-Romagna (1980-83, 1991-2003).
Newborn screening importance in detection of asymptomatic forms of epimerase deficiency galactosemia (EDG)
Futuro endocrino a lungo termine nella pubertà precoce centrale trattata e non trattata (PPC).
TSHR gene analysis in paediatric subjects with NASH (non autoimmune subclinical hypothyroidism) not selected by neonatal screening
Levothyroxine treatment in pediatric benign thyroid nodules
AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of levothyroxine therapy in benign thyroid nodules in pediatrics.
METHODS: Data from 78 euthyroid children and adolescents with benign thyroid nodules were retrospectively collected. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: levothyroxine treated (n = 36) and nontreated (n = 42), and the clinical, laboratory and sonographic features of the 2 groups were compared. Nodules were considered benign according to histology, fine-needle aspiration biopsy or by features suggestive for benignity. The groups were followed up for 2.4 \ub1 1.3 years, and treated patients received a mean dose of levothyroxine of 1.69 \ub1 0.66 μg/kg/day.
RESULTS: Patients in the treated and nontreated groups were comparable for age, sex and follow-up. A reduction in nodule diameter from 2.24 \ub1 0.94 to 1.86 \ub1 1.17 cm (p = 0.039) was observed in treated patients, whereas the nodule diameter increased from 1.66 \ub1 0.86 to 1.78 \ub1 0.91 cm in nontreated patients (p = 0.024). In the treatment group, 11 patients (30.6%) had a reduction greater than 50% and significantly decreased palpable nodules (p < 0.001). A nonsignificant reduction in reported symptoms was observed, too. The change in nodule size was directly correlated with thyroid-stimulating hormone levels (r = 0.640, p < 0.001) and inversely with levothyroxine dose (r = -0.389, p = 0.009). In nontreated subjects, both palpable nodules and symptoms increased.
CONCLUSION: This study supports levothyroxine treatment effectiveness in shrinking benign nodules