Premium
Evidence of diffuse atrophy of the thyroid gland in patients with anorexia nervosa
Author(s) -
Klinkby Støving René,
Bennedbæk Finn Noe,
Hegedüs Laszlo,
Hagen Claus
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(200103)29:2<230::aid-eat1013>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - endocrinology , thyroid , medicine , hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis , anorectic , anorexia nervosa , triiodothyronine , lean body mass , body mass index , thyroid function , hormone , atrophy , psychology , body weight , eating disorders , psychiatry
Objective The altered function of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid axis (HPT) in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients has not been clearly elucidated so far. Low triiodothyronine (T3) syndrome and a blunted and delayed thyrotropin (TSH) response to exogenously administrated thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH) are common findings. However, no attention has been paid to thyroid morphology in AN patients. Method We performed an ultrasonographic (US) evaluation of the thyroid gland in 22 AN patients and in 44 age and sex‐matched control subjects. Lean body mass (LBM) was determined by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Results US‐determined thyroid volume was significantly reduced in AN patients (9.2 ± 0.4 vs. 17.8 ± 1.2 ml in the controls; M ± SEM ; p < 10 −4 ). In healthy subjects, it has previously been established that thyroid volume can be estimated from age and body weight. In the present study, the measured thyroid volume in patients with AN was significantly lower than the predicted thyroid volume (measured: 9.2 ± 0.4 vs. estimated: 12.2 ± 0.2 ml; p < 10 −4 ). Furthermore, in the AN patients, the thyroid size was not correlated to body mass index (BMI) or LBM. Discussion Thyroid volume in AN patients was markedly reduced compared with the control group and with the volume expected from age and body weight or LBM. This indicates thyroid atrophy, which, hypothetically, could be involved in a vicious circle maintaining anorectic or depressive symptomatology. © 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Disord 29: 230–235, 2001.