[The thyroid gland in Anothomia Mundini (1316)].

Andreas Vesalius described the human thyroid lobes very distinctly in his De humani corporis fabrica in 1543 calling them glandulae laryngis. Before him Leonardo da Vinci had depicted the human thyroid gland in his anatomical drawings. The first publication which could be called a textbook of human anatomy, because it was used as the basis for cathedral teaching in human anatomy for about two centuries, was the Anothomia of Mundinus Liucius, Mondino de'Liuzzi, published in 1316.

The value of visual evoked potentials in optic neuropathy of Graves' disease.

Visual evoked potentials (VEP) were tested in patients with ophthalmopathy (OP) of Graves' disease (GD) before treatment and half-a-year and 5-7 yr after orbital decompression (7 patients) or retrobulbar irradiation (3 patients). Five patients not requiring treatment for OP and 16 healthy subjects served as controls. Treatment of OP was given on clinical grounds including decreased visual acuity (VA) indicating optic neuropathy.

Endemic goitre--iodine deficiency disorders.

Endemic goitre occurs when the prevalence of thyroid enlargement in the population of an area exceeds 10%. With few exceptions its cause is iodine deficiency superimposed on other goitrogenic factors normally present and responsible for sporadic goitre. Iodine deficiency causes significant health problems and so, the term iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) has been introduced.

Visual evoked potentials in Basedow's ophthalmopathy before and after orbital decompression or retrobulbar irradiation.

VEP are an objective and a more sensitive sign of optical neuropathy in Graves' ophthalmopathy than is visual acuity. A correlation exists between VEP and the changes in the external eye muscles as visualized on CT scans. VEP should always be registered if CT changes are present.

The impact of 25 years of iodine prophylaxis on the adult thyroid weight in Finland.

The effect of iodine prophylaxis on endemic goiter was studied in an adult Finnish population by comparing autopsy records from 1959 and 1984. In the 1950's the iodine intake calculated both from urinary excretion of stable iodine and from food analysis data was 50-70 micrograms per day the intake being lower in the main endemic area in the eastern part of the country. The use of iodized salt raised these figures only by 15 micrograms per day.

Differentiated follicle-derived thyroid carcinoma in children.

Fifteen patients, 11 females and 4 males, aged 4-16 years with follicle-derived differentiated thyroid carcinoma treated at the Helsinki University Central Hospital during 1953 through 1984 are reported. Histologically 13 carcinomata were papillary, 1 follicular and 1 was suspected to be follicular carcinoma (atypic adenoma). Eleven (73%) had cervical lymphnode metastases and 4 (25%) pulmonary metastases as well.

Receptors for epidermal growth factor and thyrotropin in thyroid carcinoma.

The EGF and TSH receptor properties in malignant thyroid tumours and adjacent normal thyroid tissues were characterized using radioreceptor assays. Ten patients with papillary, 4 with medullary, 1 with Hürthle cell type follicular carcinoma, and 2 with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were studied. In 10 out of 12 patients with papillary and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas, more EGF receptors were found in the neoplastic tissue than in the adjacent normal tissue (P less than 0.

Free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, and thyrotropin concentrations in hypothyroid and thyroid carcinoma patients receiving thyroxine therapy.

Free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) concentrations in serum were measured by direct equilibrium dialysis methods in patients receiving thyroxine replacement or suppression therapy. Four of 50 hypothyroid patients euthyroid on replacement therapy (mean thyroxine dose 120 micrograms/day) had supranormal FT4 concentrations, whereas the FT3 concentrations were normal in all. Forty-one of 56 operated thyroid carcinoma patients on suppressive therapy (mean thyroxine dose 214 micrograms/day) had raised FT4 concentrations, whereas the FT3 concentrations was elevated in only one patient.

Low TSH-response to TRH in a former endemic goiter area.

During 30 yr of iodine prophylaxis endemic goiter in school children had disappeared in the Savonlinna area which has been the location of continuous surveillance in the East of Finland. In adults goiter is still found to some extent especially in older people. The iodine intake has increased from about 50 to 300 micrograms per day during these yr and the thyroidal uptake of radioactive iodine has decreased from over 60% to between 20 and 30%.

Assessment of thyroxine suppression in thyroid carcinoma patients with a sensitive immunoradiometric TSH assay.

Serum TSH was determined with a sensitive radioimmunometric method (TSH IRMA) in 57 patients on suppression therapy with T4 after operation for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. When using a conventional RIA technique basal TSH was not detectable and remained so even after stimulation with TRH. With the TSH IRMA method 46 patients had a basal TSH below the detection limit (0.

Endemic goitre in Finland and changes during 30 years of iodine prophylaxis.

Endemic goitre of moderate severity was mainly found in the East of Finland still in the 1950s but the whole country was moderately iodine deficient. The daily iodine intake determined both from food consumption and from the urinary excretion in population samples was 50-70 micrograms being lower in the East. The main iodine sources were milk products, about 50% of the daily intake being derived from these.

How to deal with undetectable and low measurable serum thyroglobulin levels in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma?

Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) was measured in 52 patients 3 months to 15 years (mean 5.3 years) after thyroidectomy with or without subsequent radioablation for differentiated thyroid carcinoma, before and after the interruption of suppressive thyroxine (T4) replacement therapy for 5 weeks. Whole body scintigraphy was carried out at the end of the T4 withdrawal period.