Assessment of histopathological changes in the thyroid gland of fatal burn patients: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Severe burn injury causes a marked hypermetabolic state in the body along with hypothyroidism. Here we aim to find out the morphological changes in the thyroid gland that may be an etiological factor of the hypothyroidism produced post severe burn injury. Methods: Histopathological study of the thyroid gland in 64 fatal burn cases of both sexes was conducted in our hospital. Thyroid samples collected during the autopsy were preserved in 10% formol saline and later stained using the hematoxylin and eosin staining method and the resulting sections were viewed under light microscopy. Results: The foremost pathological finding in the thyroid sections was the distortion of thyroid follicular architecture (59.37%). Their possible cause and the relationship between the distortion and period of survival after a burn injury and TBSA-B have been discussed. Other important findings like mononuclear cell infiltration, primarily in the interfollicular space (65.62%), clumping of the thyroglobulin (21.87%), and exhaustion of the thyroid follicles (17.18%) have been reported as well. Conclusion: Burn injury has a metabolically damaging role on the thyroid gland, resulting in hypothyroidism which worsens over time. Hormonal replacement therapy is suggested.

Keywords

• Burn injury
• Thyroid
• Histopathology
• Distortion