THE ORAL TRH STIMULATION TEST - A NEW DIAGNOSTIC-TOOL IN NONTOXIC MULTINODULAR GOITER

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 211  (6) , 477-480
Abstract
A 28 h TRH stimulation test was developed based on the FT3I [free triiodothyronine index] response to repeated oral TRH stimulation. The normal FT3I response in 15 controls was .gtoreq. 40 arb.U. Euthyroid patients (25) with multinodular goiter were studied. Fourteen had normal FT3I response and normal basal levels of serum T4, FT4I, serum T3 and FT3I. Eleven patients had FT3I responses below 20 arb. U. Although the patients'' individual basal values of serum T4 [thyroxine], FT4I, serum T3 and FT3I were within the normal range, the median values of FT4I, serum T3 and FT3I were significantly elevated compared to the controls; this suggested that these patients were in a pretoxic condition. This assumption seems to be supported by the fact that 3 of these patients subsequently became frankly hyperthyroid, whereas all patients with normal FT3I response remained euthyroid. A comparison between the TSH response to i.v. TRH and the FT3I response to oral TRH showed concordance in 21 of the 25 patients studied.

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