Thyroid echogenicity in manic-depressive patients receiving lithium therapy

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders 2002-06, Vol.70 (1), p.85-90
• Main Authors: Schiemann, Uwe, Hengst, Karin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antidepressive Agents - adverse effects; Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Bipolar Disorder - diagnostic imaging; Bipolar Disorder - drug therapy; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Drug-induced dysfunction; Female; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Lithium; Lithium Carbonate - adverse effects; Lithium Carbonate - therapeutic use; Male; Manic-depression; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous (drug allergy, mutagens, teratogens...); Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Thyroid Function Tests; Thyroid Gland - diagnostic imaging; Thyroid Gland - drug effects; Thyroid volume; Ultrasonography
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-0327(00)00374-8

Background: Lithium is known to induce subclinical or overt hypothyroidism and changes of thyroid volume in manic-depressive patients. Little is known about alterations of thyroid echogenicity due to drug-induced dysfunction. Methods: Twenty manic-depressive patients receiving lithium therapy for at least 6 months and 20 euthyroid volunteers without any antidepressive medication as control group, matched in age and gender, were investigated by laboratory measurements and thyroid ultrasonography including standardized grey scale analyses in representative regions of interest (ROI). Results: Thyroid function was normal in all patients (mean FT4 1.1±0.2 ng/dl, mean TSH 1.6±0.9 μ U/ml) and controls (mean FT4 1.5±0.4 ng/dl, TSH 1.1±0.3 μ U/ml). Except for two patients, no thyroid autoantibody levels could been detected. Thyroid volumetry revealed significant higher mean values for the lithium treated patients (16.9±11.9 ml) compared with the controls (11.4±4.5 ml, P