Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Endogenous TSH in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism in dogs.
- Journal:
- Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde
- Year:
- 2004
- Authors:
- Boretti, F S & Reusch, C E
- Affiliation:
- Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 65 dogs showing signs of hypothyroidism, researchers looked at a hormone called canine thyrotropin (cTSH) to see if it could help diagnose the condition. They confirmed hypothyroidism in 26 dogs and ruled it out in 39 using a specific test. The dogs with hypothyroidism had lower levels of another hormone called thyroxine (T4) and higher levels of cTSH compared to healthy dogs. While a high cTSH level was a strong indicator of hypothyroidism, the test wasn't perfect, as some dogs with the disease had normal cTSH levels. Overall, measuring cTSH is very useful for confirming hypothyroidism, but it can't reliably rule it out if the levels are normal.
Abstract
To determine whether measurement of canine thyrotropin (cTSH) would aid in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, serum samples of 65 dogs with clinical signs suggestive of hypothyroidism were evaluated. Diagnosis was confirmed in 26 dogs and excluded in 39 dogs based on TSH-stimulation testing. Total thyroxine (T4) was significantly lower and cTSH significantly higher in hypothyroid dogs compared to euthyroid dogs. Canine TSH was above (> 0.6 ng/ml) in 15 (57.7%) and below the upper limit of the reference range in 11 (42.3%) of the hypothyroid dogs. All of the euthyroid dogs had a cTSH < 0.6 ng/ml. In all dogs with a cTSH above the upper limit of the reference range hypothyroidism could be confirmed. Therefore, our results show that measurement of cTSH has an excellent specificity (100%) and is a valuable tool in confirming canine hypothyroidism. However, due to the low sensitivity of cTSH assays (60%), it can not be recommended to exclude the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15124775/