Thyroid dysfunction among long-term survivors of bone marrow transplantation

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Am. J. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9343(82)90411-9· OSTI ID:6794546

Sklar, C A; Kim, T H; Ramsay, N K

Thyroid function studies were followed serially in 27 long-term survivors (median 33 months) of bone marrow transplantation. There were 15 men and 12 women (median age 13 1/12 years, range 11/12 to 22 6/12 years). Aplastic anemia (14 patients) and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (eight patients) were the major reasons for bone marrow transplantation. Pretransplant conditioning consisted of single-dose irradiation combined with high-dose, short-term chemotherapy in 23 patients, while four patients received a bone marrow transplantation without any radiation therapy. Thyroid dysfunction occurred in 10 of 23 (43 percent) irradiated patients; compensated hypothyroidism (elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone levels only) developed in eight subjects, and two patients had primary thyroid failure (elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and low T4 index). The abnormal thyroid studies were detected a median of 13 months after bone marrow transplantation. The four subjects who underwent transplantation without radiation therapy have remained euthyroid (median follow-up two years). The only variable that appeared to correlate with the subsequent development of impaired thyroid function was the type of graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis employed; the irradiated subjects treated with methotrexate alone had a higher incidence of thyroid dysfunction compared to those treated with methotrexate combined with antithymocyte globulin and prednisone (eight of 12 versus two of 11, p less than 0.05). The high incidence and subtle nature of impaired thyroid function following single-dose irradiation for bone marrow transplantation are discussed.

• Research Organization: Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Health Sciences Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• OSTI ID: 6794546
• Journal Information: Am. J. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Med.; (United States) Vol. 73:5; ISSN AJMEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550603* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANEMIAS
ANIMAL TISSUES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
BONE MARROW
CHEMOTHERAPY
DISEASES
DYNAMIC FUNCTION STUDIES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM
HEMIC DISEASES
LEUKEMIA
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
SYMPTOMS
THERAPY
THYROID
TISSUES
TRANSPLANTS