[Retrospective study of the thyroid balance in pregnant women : definition of TSH and FT4 reference values]

Pregnancy leads to many physiological changes, particularly in the thyroid. This implies that the reference values of the thyroid parameters may change according to the trimesters of the pregnancy and that the management of pregnant women differs. Establishing reference values is not easy and can be done in several ways. In our study, we review the reference values of TSH and FT4 of pregnant women followed up at Liege University Hospital compared to control women. This has been achieved using retrospective data from our laboratory. We show that the small decrease in the TSH reference values in pregnant women is barely visible in a small cohort. Our FT4 values confirm what the literature shows, i.e. a slight increase during the first trimester. We emphasize the difficulty and the relevance of making reference values for pregnant women.

[Association between exposure to persistent organic pollutants during pregnancy and thyroid function during childhood : a pilot longitudinal study and literature review]

OBJECTIVE

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals widely employed in the industry. Long term consequences of the newborns' contamination by PFAS on thyroid function are of concern. The aim of this study is to assess the potential associations between PFAS contamination measured at birth and thyroid function assessed few months later. PFAS levels were previously determined in cord blood from a cohort of newborns recruited in Liege.

METHOD

Parents of the children belonging to the first and the fifth quintiles of exposure to PFAS were contacted in order to measure the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in their child few months after birth. Twenty-eight children participated in the study. Moreover, we performed a literature review about associations between pre- or perinatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and thyroid function during early childhood.

RESULT

No significant difference was highlighted between both groups of contamination (Mann-Whitney, p-value = 0.91). Literature review highlighted the critical need of new longitudinal data about this problematic.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that the PFAS levels at birth are not associated with TSH levels later in life. Large scale studies are required to confirm our results.

[Thyroid abscess due to Salmonella enteritidis in an immunocompetent patient]

The thyroid gland is usually resistant to infections due to its anatomy. However, suppurative thyroiditis could be found in immunocompromised patients or those with previous thyroid diseases. We report a case of thyroid abscess secondary to Salmonella enteritidis infection in an immunocompetent patient. We were not able to establish the source of infection. Clinical improvement was achieved under antibiotic treatment without complications. Early diagnosis is important as thyroid abcess may be a life threatening condition.