William McK. Jefferies

The value of a single injection of thyrotropin in the diagnosis of obscure hypothyroidism.

ALTHOUGH full-blown myxedema is readily diagnosed, there are many persons in whom a question of hypothyroidism arises, but the clinical picture and customary tests of thyroid function are not suffi...

Use of the TSH test in the diagnosis of thyroid disorders.

The measurement of the uptake of a tracer dose of I131 by the thyroid gland has become a standard test of thyroid function. When combined with the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and determination of serum protein-bound iodine (PBI), it gives the clinician a more complete picture of thyroid activity than has ever before been available. Yet there are circumstances in which all three of these tests are inadequate. In such instances it is necessary to determine the response of the thyroid gland to stimulation in order to detect an abnormality in its function. For this purpose an additional test is needed, and the TSH test meets the requirements. By following the response of the thyroid uptake of I131 and the PBI to a single injection of thyrotropin (TSH), the ability of the thyroid gland to respond to stimulation can be determined in a satisfactory and practical manner. Previous reports from this clinic (1, 2) have dealt with the value of this test in the diagnosis of obscure hypothyroidism and low thyroid reserv...

The TSH Test as an Aid in Diagnosing Hypothyroidism

A thyrotropin test using a single dose of 5 units with a three hour iodine 131 uptake and serum protein-bound iodine measurement before and 24 hours after the injection compares favorably with tests using other schedules. This test is most often of clinical value in detecting borderline cases of hypothyroidism in which other tests of thyroid function are equivocal and in subjects who have been taking thyroid medication without clear evidence of hypothyroidism.