eee C cee ee : ve ++ SEERAM ar Ne ee; sree a ae . a ee * ee OS Thyroid functions; correlation with retardation of growth in children, In some children with thyroid lesions, deficiency in serum thyroxine has been correlated with retardation of growth. The most striking -nstances of hypothyroidism were in two boys who showed marked retardation of statural . growth and bone age. By 1964, they had developedobvious atrophy of the thyroid gland with almost complete loss of thyroid function as evidenced by a failure of the thyroid to take up much if any iodine even after TSH stimulation.. By this time there were low thyroxine and very high TSH levels in the blood, . They showed bony dysgenesis, sluggish Archilles tendon reflexes, puffy faces, and dry skin, . - Their response to thyroid hormone _ Supplement as evidenced by growth spurt, improved appearance, etc. has been dramatic (See Figs. 11 and12).Several other childrenwho displayed thyroid nodulariy and whose statural growth was below average showed low or low-normal serum thyroxine values and poor radioiodine uptake after TSH stimulation indicating that their thyroids were functionally impaired a, my and operating near their maximum capacity. Functional deficiency of the | thyroid was not demonstrated in adults with nodules or carcinoma of the thyroid. - | Influence ofphysiological stress on thyroid abnormalities. An assessment was made of the relationship of the development of puberty to the occurrence of thyroid nodules. Degrees of pubescent changes have been recorded annually by a grading system, The two boys that showed greatest retardation of growth had developed atrophy of the thyroid gland ' before puberty. . Here changes associated with puberty were delayed. There may be some association between the apparent increased demand for thyroid i ae | * : . DOE ARCHIVES an SSE. ep,