Objective: It is a well-known fact that positron emission tomography (PET) is an effective tool in the assessment of thyroid focal lesions, however only few studies so far have investigated its role in monitoring of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs). The aim of this study is to assess if PET scan may be useful for the assessment of the thyroid gland in patients with an AITD—Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Methods: We evaluated twenty subjects with diagnosed Hashimoto's thyroiditis (proven by presence of elevated thyroid antibodies level and by thyroid imaging). The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV-max) of the thyroid parenchyma was measured using 18 F-FDG-PET/CT. Control group consisted of patients who have been in carcinoma remission for other reasons than thyroid cancer and who had been investigated by PET scan to exclude carcinoma recurrence. All control group subjects had their thyroid glands intact, none of them had a medical history of thyroid disease including thyroid nodules. AITDs had been excluded in all control group subjects. STATISTICA 13.1 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Results: The SUV-max was significantly higher in patients with an AITD than in healthy subjects (median SUV-max 3.94 vs. 1.95; p = 0.005). Conclusions: 18 F-FDG-PET/CT scan may differentiate normal thyroid parenchyma from the diffused inflammatory changes of the thyroid gland in patients with AITDs. However, the researchers must be continued.
While a primary role in the pathogenesis of restless legs syndrome (RLS) has been attributed to dysfunction of the dopaminergic system and impaired iron metabolism (particularly in the central nervous system), it has been hypothesized that an imbalance between thyroid hormones and dopaminergic activity may be the starting point for all aspects of RLS. Although this hypothesis was proposed more than a decade ago, it has not yet been verified beyond doubt. The main aim of this study is to compare the prevalence of RLS in a population of patients with the most common thyroid gland diseases with a population of individuals with a healthy thyroid gland. The study included 237 participants divided into smaller groups according to the thyroid disease concerning them. Each participant had a laboratory diagnosis, an ultrasound scan and an assessment of the fulfilment of RLS criteria according to the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) criteria. The results obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. RLS is significantly more common in patients with known thyroid disease; Hashimoto’s disease, among others, manifests a 2.56× higher risk of a positive diagnosis for RLS than the general population. The association of RLS with thyroid disease is notable, although it is difficult to conclude unequivocally that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the two. Further investigation into a potentially autoimmune cause of restless legs syndrome should be considered.
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