J Korean Pediatr Soc.  1997 Jan;40(1):104-109.

Serum Thyroglobulin Concentrations in Congenital Hypothyroidism

• Jung JW
• Lee BC

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the serum levels of thyroglobulin in 35 Children with proven congenital hypothyroidism and the value of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) determination in the differential diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism.
METHODS
Thirty five patients diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism by clinical symptoms, physical findings, thyroid function tests and radionuclide thyroid scan were available for study. The age of subjects was ranged between 2 weeks and 8.1 years. Serum thyroglobulin was measured by immunoradiometric assay (Thyroglobulin IRMA Pasteur kit). The control groups consisted of 10 normal children with similar age.
RESULTS
1) The male to female ratio was about 1 : 1.7. 2) In etiologic classification, thyroid dysgenesis was 29 cases (82.9%) and dyshormonogenesis was 6 cases (17.1%). Among the thyroid dysgenesis, athyreosis was 18 cases (51.5%), ectopic gland was 6 cases (17.1%), and hypoplastic gland was 5 cases (14.3%). 3) Serum thyroglobulin concentration of athyreosis (5.6+/-6.4ng/mL) was the lowest in children with congenital hypothyroidism, and serum thyroglobulin concentrations of both athyreosis and hypoplastic thyroid gland (11.6+/-6.5ng/mL) were significantly lower than the concentration of normal children (25.6+/-11.1ng/mL). 4) Serum thyroglobulin concentration in children with ectopic gland (22.7+/- 11.3ng/mL) and dyshormonogenesis (31.6+/-20.5ng/mL) was same as the concentration of normal children.
CONCLUSIONS
Serum thyroglobulin measurement may be useful in the differetial diagnosis of athyreosis from other etiologies of congenital hypothyroidism.

Keyword

Congenital hypothyroidism; Serum thyroglobulin

MeSH Terms

Child
Classification
Congenital Hypothyroidism*
Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Humans
Immunoradiometric Assay
Male
Thyroglobulin*
Thyroid Dysgenesis
Thyroid Function Tests
Thyroid Gland
Thyroglobulin