Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Apr 2008)
COMPARISON OF BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN HYPOTHYROID CHILDREN UNDER LEVOTHYROXINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY WITH NORMAL CHILDREN
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: According to the importance of thyroid hormone on growth, especially bone mineral density (BMD), in this study, long term effects of levothyroxine replacement therapy on BMD in hypothyroid children in comparison with normal children was evaluated. METHODS: In this historical cohort study, long term effects of levothyroxine on BMD and biochemical markers in acquired and congenital hypothyroid children versus compared group were evaluated. Twenty three children with congenital and acquired hypothyroidism who received levothyroxine replacement therapy regularly for at least 1 year and followed up once every 3 months were studied. In control 30 prepubertal children preferably from patients family were selected. FINDINGS: Mean age in compared group was 8.8±4.3 and in case group was 10.4±3.3 years and average duration of treatment was 7.3 years. Results of spine and femur BMD in patients was 0.73±0.26 and 0.70±0.17, respectively. Also in control, BMD of spine and femur was 0.77±0.07 and 0.57±0.28. So, the difference between two groups was not significant. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that levothyroxine replacement therapy do not decrease BMD in comparison with compared group. So, long term levothyroxine replacement therapy is not detrimental to the skeletal mineralization and BMD of patients with normal TSH will be as like as euthyroid healthy children.
