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Thyroid gland volume as measured by ultrasonography in preterm infants
Author(s) -
Ares S,
Pastor I,
Quero J,
Morreale de Escobarh G
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1995.tb13484.x
Subject(s) - thyroid , medicine , triiodothyronine , endocrinology , hormone , ultrasonography , gestation , fetus , iodine deficiency , physiology , pregnancy , surgery , biology , genetics
The volume of the thyroid gland was determined by ultrasonography in 30 preterm infants (27‐36 weeks' gestation) born in Madrid. Thyroid gland volume significantly increased (p < 0.01) with postnatal and postmenstrual age and was very well correlated with body weight, height and surface area (p < 0.01). Serum thyroid hormones 3,5,3'‐triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and free thyroxine (FT 4 ) were linearly correlated with postnatal and postmenstrual age, thus T 3 and FT 4 levels were also correlated with thyroid gland volume (p < 0.05). We report measurements of the thyroid gland volume obtained by ultrasonography in this group of preterm infants. Quantitative determination of thyroid gland volume is more accurate for the diagnosis of goitre than clinical criteria. It is also interesting to determine the thyroid gland volume in the neonatal period when the thyroid is particularly hypersensitive to the effects of iodine deficiency and excess.