Treatment of thyroid dysfunction in a medical specialist’s office – the role of levothyroxine

Synthetic levothyroxine is the first line treatment for hypothyroidism, one of the most common endocrine disorders, independently its cause, in all age groups. The Polish Endocrinological Society, together with European Thyroid Association, American Thyroid Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, do not recommend the use of dried thyroid preparations, triiodothyronine or combined preparations of thyroxine with triiodothyronine. The objective of treatment is to achieve biochemical and clinical euthyroidism monitored by TSH and/or FT4 levels. The daily dose of levothyroxine depends on many factors, including the etiology and severity of hypothyroidism, age, body weight, pregnancy and comorbidities. Routinely, levothyroxine is administered on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before breakfast (ATA 2014 recommend up to 60 minutes interval between meal and taking the drug). Levothyroxine can also be used in combination therapy in Graves’ disease. Currently, the routine use of synthetic sodium levothyroxine in patients with multinodular goiter is not recommended because it increases the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and atrial fibrillation in patients after 60 year of life.

Collision tumor of the thyroid – a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic

Some of the patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinomas have a coexistent differentiated thyroid cancer, sustaining the hypothesis that this cancer may develop from more differentiated tumors. We describe a case with a collision tumor of the thyroid, defined as a neoplastic lesion composed of two distinct cell populations, with distinct borders. The patient presented during the COVID-19 pandemic with dysphonia, dyspnea, multinodular goiter and a painless, rapidly enlarging, left cervical swelling. She had been first time diagnosed with left nodular goiter in 2007, with an indication for surgery, which she declined. After partial excision of the left latero-cervical adenopathy, the pathological analysis showed massive lymph node metastasis from anaplastic thyroid cancer. A total thyroidectomy was done; the postoperative pathological exam identified a papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in the right lobe and an anaplastic thyroid cancer in the left lobe. Postoperatively, levothyroxine treatment was started and the patient was referred to radiotherapy. This case highlights the importance of urgent management of some cases with compressive multinodular goiter, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ANALYSING ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICATORS OF INSULIN RESISTANCE AND INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-1 IN PATIENTS WITH NODULAR GOITER

Publications suggesting that thyroid nodule might be associated with insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome are quite interesting. In a very recent report, increased thyroid volume and nodule prevalence were also reported in patients with IR in an iodine-sufficient area []. The purpose of the work is to analyze the association between anthropometric indicators IR and IGF-1 in patients with nodular goiter. Materials and methods. During the study the authors examined 73 patients with euthyroid single-node (n = 34) and multinodular goiter (n = 39) aged 17 to 74 years (mean - (51.0 ± 10.6) years), determining WC, WC / HC, BMI, WHtR, ABSI, BFD, BRI, CI, AVI, BAI, IGF-1, TSH, fT4, fT3. Thyroid volume, its structure, number, size and location of foci was assessed by an ultrasonic complex Aloka SSD-1100 (Japan), using a linear sensor 7.5 MHz. Results and their discussion. In the total number of patients with nodular goiter IGF-1 is nonlinearly negatively associated with BMI (r = -0.30; P = 0.016), WC (r = -0.26; P = 0.036), WHtR (r = -0.30) ; P = 0.020), AVI (r = -0.27; P = 0.03), ABSI (r = -0.31; P = 0.015), nonlinear positive with BFD (r = 0.27; P = 0.033) ), BRI (r = 0.29; P = 0.02) and linearly positive with BAI (r = 0.36; P = 0.004); thyroid volume is linearly positively associated with age (r = 0.35; P = 0.009), nonlinearly positively with WC / HC (r = 0.43; P = 0.001), BFD (r = 0.26; P = 0.06 ) and CI (r = 0.31; P = 0.02). In patients with nodular goiter with BMI≥35 kg / m2 thyroid volume is linearly positively associated with BMI (r = 0.71; P = 0.049). In patients with nodular goiter with IRF-1 above the sex-age norm, thyroid volume is nonlinearly positively associated with WC / HC (r = 0.71; P = 0.01), BAI (r = 0.66; P = 0.03 ) and nonlinearly negative with BFD (r = -0.52; P = 0.01). It has been found that BAI explains 82.37% of the variance of IGF-1 in the general group and more than 90% of the variance of its level in groups of patients with nodular goiter with high IGF-1 with / without obesity. In patients with nodular goiter with high IGF-1 and obesity, the predictor of increased thyroid volume is BRI, which explains 81.14% of the variance of its volume. Conclusions: Patients with nodular goiter with IGF-1 level in blood above the sex-age norm have significantly higher values ​​of anthropometric indicators IR (WHtR, ABSI, BFD and BAI) compared with patients with a normal level of this indicator; in patients with nodular goiter with II degree obesity and above, thyroid volume is significantly associated with BMI; BAI (R2 = 82.37%) is a predictor of increased levels of IGF-1 in blood of patients with nodular goiter, regardless of the obesity; BRI (R2 = 81.14%) is a predictor of increased thyroid volume in patients with nodular goiter with IGF -1 high level and obesity. Key words: nodular goiter, anthropometric indicators, insulin resistance

Thyroid Gland Disease as a Comorbid Condition in COPD

Introduction. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The disease is characterized by progressive airway inflammation, which not only affects the airways but also has systemic effects that are associated with comorbidities. Although comorbid conditions such as hypertension and coronary artery disease are very well-known in COPD patients, diseases of the thyroid gland have not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, thyroid diseases are not considered among the comorbid conditions of COPD. The purpose of this study was to determine the thyroid gland disease (TGD) prevalence in COPD and associated factors. Materials and Method. The study included 309 (297 (96%) male) patients. The patients were subjected to spirometry and thyroid function tests (TFT) in the stable period. The thyroid gland disease they were diagnosed with was recorded after face-to-face meetings and examining their files. Results. The mean age of the patients who were included in the study was 65.9 ± 9.8 (40-90). Thyroid disease was determined in 68 (22%) individuals. There were hypothyroidism in 7 (2%), euthyroidism in 45 (15%), and hyperthyroidism in 16 (%5) patients. No relationship was found between the severity of airflow limitation and the prevalence of TGD. Conclusion. Thyroid abnormalities are commonly observed in COPD. The most frequently encountered TGDs are euthyroid multinodular goiter, euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS), and toxic multinodular goiter.

THYROID CARCINOSARCOMA: A CASE REPORT

Thyroid carcinosarcoma is a rare and aggressive neoplasm of the thyroid gland, with a recurrent character and a bad prognosis, despite the introduction of a multimodal treatment that is not yet codied. We present a case of thyroid carcinosarcoma, number 32 described in the literature, in a 64-year-old man complicating a multinodular goiter that had been evolving for 10 years and which relapsed 6 months after total thyroidectomy. On the anatomopathological level, thyroid sarcoma was mentioned before the microscopic aspect of the tumor and conrmed by the immune histochemical study. The recurrence was massive requiring the use of tumor reduction surgery that allowed the avoidance of a tracheotomy and a good locoregional control of the tumor. And yet the patient died of lung metastases 4 months later.