Graves' disease in two pregnancies complicated by fetal goitrous hypothyroidism: successful in utero treatment with levothyroxine
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Treatment of Graves' disease during pregnancy with antithyroid drugs (ATDs) poses a risk of inducing hypothyroidism and, thus, development of a goiter to the fetus. PATIENT FINDINGS: We report two patients referred to our department after discovery of a fetal goiter by ultrasound examination in the second trimester of pregnancy. The women receiving 400¿mg/day propylthiouracil and 10¿mg/day thiamizole, respectively, had thyrotropin and total thyroxine values within the normal reference range but a lowered free thyroxine level. Fetal blood sampling by cordocentesis revealed severe fetal hypothyroidism as the cause of goiter development. Reduction of maternal ATD dose and injection of levothyroxine intra-amniotically quickly reduced the goiter size, and both babies were born euthyroid and without goiters.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Thyroid |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 1 |
Pages (from-to) | 75-81 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISSN | 1050-7256 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2011 |
ID: 34082415