Skip to main content
Archives of Disease in Childhood logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood
. 1970 Dec;45(244):746–754. doi: 10.1136/adc.45.244.746

Perinatal Thyroid Discharge

A Histological Study of 1225 Infant Thyroids

K Sagreiya, J L Emery
PMCID: PMC1647434  PMID: 5531057

Abstract

A random sample of 500 infant thyroids in which post-mortem changes were, as far as possible, eliminated was studied histologically. In the great majority of neonatal thyroids there are distinct changes which suggest the occurrence of an acute `perinatal thyroid discharge' probably due to over stimulation, and which are confined to the immediate perinatal period. These changes are characterized by (i) reduction and loss of colloid (often complete), (ii) vacuolation and detachment of cells, (iii) irregular and pyknotic nuclei, and (iv) the presence of nuclear knots. The thyroid changes are probably physiological and labour-related. The only clinical symptom found to be related to neonatal thyroid discharge was sclerema neonatorum, when there appeared to be an absence of thyroid reaction.

Full text

PDF
746

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aboul-Khair S. A., Buchanan T. J., Crooks J., Turnbull A. C. Structural and functional development of the human foetal thyroid. Clin Sci. 1966 Dec;31(3):415–424. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. FISHER D. A., ODDIE T. H. NEONATAL THYROIDAL HYPERACTIVITY. RESPONSE TO COOLING. Am J Dis Child. 1964 Jun;107:574–581. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1964.02080060576004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fisher D. A., Odell W. D., Hobel C. J., Garza R. Thyroid function in the term fetus. Pediatrics. 1969 Oct;44(4):526–535. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Geloso J. P., Hemon P., Legrand J., Legrand C., Jost A. Some aspects of thyroid physiology during the perinatal period. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 1968 Apr;10(2):191–197. doi: 10.1016/0016-6480(68)90026-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. HODGES R. E., EVANS T. C., BRADBURY J. T., KEETTEL W. C. The accumulation of radioactive iodine by human fetal thyroids. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1955 Jun;15(6):661–667. doi: 10.1210/jcem-15-6-661. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. JOST A., PICON L. Influence de la thyroïdectomie du foetus de lapin sur la teneur de son corps en lipides et en azote. C R Hebd Seances Acad Sci. 1958 Feb 24;246(8):1281–1283. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kennedy J. S. The pathology of dyshormonogenetic goitre. J Pathol. 1969 Nov;99(3):251–264. doi: 10.1002/path.1710990309. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Archives of Disease in Childhood are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES