Endocrine Abstracts

Because of the increased prevalence of thyroid disorders in Romania we realized a retrospective study in which we followed the variance of TSH, function of temperature, in different seasons. In this context, based on TSH value we appreciated the need of thyroid hormones and antithyroid drugs to maintain an euthyroid state.

Material and methods: The group of study consist of 634 patients, men and women over 18-years-old with thyroid disorders: hypo, hyper, euthyroidism per novo or under treatment which presented in summer and winter months in C. I. Parhon Institute. The patients were followed in the summer months versus winter months being distributed on geographical regions.

Results: In the case of hypothyroid patients, the mean TSH value in summer month was 9.37±5.53 μUI/ml and in winter month was 18.68±2.31 μUI/ml. Based on the TSH value we appreciated that the need of thyroid hormones is lesser in summer months than in winter months with a P=0.12 and actually lesser in the geographical regions with high temperature.

In the case of hyperthyroid patients we remarked that the need of antithyroid drugs, appreciated by the TSH value, is bigger in summer months (mean TSH value: 0.148±0.76 μUI/ml) than in winter months (mean TSH value: 0.23±0.021 μUI/ml) with a P=0.46 and even bigger in the geographical regions with high temperature.

For the patients with multinodular goiter but with euthyroidism we remarked mean TSH values lesser in summer months (mean TSH value: 1.57±0.496 μUI/ml) than in winter months (mean TSH value: 2.39±0.78 μUI/ml) with a P=0.08.

Conclusions: TSH value has circanual variations being lesser in spring–summer and bigger in winter. Based on TSH value we appreciate that the need of thyroid hormones is bigger in winter than in summer and the need of antithyroid drugs in bigger in summer than in winter.