Abstract
Seventy-three patients who had been continuously receiving lithium carbonate for 6 months or more had their thyroid function evaluated clinically and biochemically. Goitre was found in 37%, exophthalmos in 23%, positive thyroid auto-antibodies in 24% and abnormal TRH tests in 49%. It would appear that thyroid failure due to lithium is usually dependent on antibody mediated damage. It is unlikely that lithium has a direct effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Adolescent
-
Adult
-
Aged
-
Antibody Formation / drug effects
-
Autoantibodies / analysis
-
Bipolar Disorder / drug therapy
-
Exophthalmos / chemically induced
-
Female
-
Goiter / chemically induced
-
Graves Disease / chemically induced
-
Humans
-
Lithium / adverse effects*
-
Lithium / therapeutic use
-
Male
-
Middle Aged
-
Thyroid Diseases / chemically induced*
-
Thyroid Function Tests*
-
Thyroid Gland / immunology
-
Thyrotropin / blood
-
Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / blood
Substances
-
Autoantibodies
-
Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
-
Thyrotropin
-
Lithium