Abstract |
To attain a simpIe and reliable methad of evaluating
the thyroid function the reliability of the clinical
manifestation and the conventional thyroid function
tests in diagnosing the hyperthyroidiism was studied.
The subjects included 184 patients with hyperthyroidism
and 66 cases with euthyroidism, who were treated at the
Thyroid Clinic, Seoul National University Hospital,
from July 1971 through August 1972. The observed
results were as follows: l. In the cases of
hyperthyroidism, 19% of the patients were male and 81%
female; in the cases of euthyroidism, 7. 6% of the
pstients were male and 92. 4%female. The majority of
the patients were in 2nd to 4th decades of their lives.
2. There were objective signs clearly manifested in
hyperthyroidism which were rare or absent in the
euthyroid state. These clinical signs included wide
pulse pressure, tachycardia, systolic murmur,
exophthalmos, tremor, and warm skin. In the
hyperthyroid state 91. 3% of the cases manifested two
or more of the above signs, whereas in the euthyroid
state no patients manifested any two of the above
signs. 3. The most frequent complaints of the patients
with thyroid disease were pelpitation, weight low,
increased appetite, heat intolerance, perspiration,
hunger feeling; nervousness, exertional dyapnea, etc.
There was no clear difference in the incidence of the
symptoms between hyperthyroidism and euthyroidism. 4.
In the diagnoeis of hyperthyroidism, the reliabihty of
thyroid function tests was as follows: T7 was 92. 4%
reliable, 125IT3 resin uptake rate 91. 6% reliable,
131I thyroid uptake rate in 24 hrs. 89. 4% reliable,
serum T4 level 85. 9% reliable and BMR 75. 5% reliable.
Therefore the careful observation of the clinical
manifestation of the disease is a simple and reliable
way of making a correct diagnosis of either
hyperthyraidism or euthymidism. 5. In hyyerthyroidism
there shows no correlationship between the results of
the thyroid function test and clinical signs but a high
BMR was associated with both tachycardia and systolic
murmur. |