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Biomedical subjects

J H Mestman

Publications and source records attributed to J H Mestman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Management of thyroid nodules during pregnancy.

Guidelines for the management of thyroid nodules discovered during pregnancy have not yet been established. The authors reviewed the records of 23 patients with thyroid nodules that were first detected during pregnancy. These patients were divided into three groups according to how they were managed. Seven patients who presented early in pregnancy had their work-up completed during pregnancy, 11 patients underwent biopsy after delivery, and 5 patients were managed with observation alone. The incidence of malignancy in the series was 39%. Four patients underwent surgery during pregnancy, and 7 patients were operated on in the postpartum period. No fetal morbidity or mortality occurred. The authors recommend that fine-needle aspiration be performed in patients who present before 20 weeks of gestation with rapidly enlarging thyroid nodules, nodules associated with palpable cervical adenopathy, solid nodules larger than 2 cm, or cystic nodules larger than 4 cm. Growth of a nodule while a patient is receiving thyroid hormone suppression therapy is highly suspicious for malignancy; in this situation, consideration should be given to performing biopsy later in gestation.

Adult

Thyroid disorders of pregnancy.

Practical aspects in the management of thyroid diseases in pregnancy are reviewed. Information on the hypothalamic-pituitary thyroid axis function in pregnancy and transplacental passages of thyroid hormones is discussed. Diagnosis and management of thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy are updated together with the management of women on thyroid replacement therapy at the time of conception. A practical evaluation of thyroid nodules in pregnancy is suggested. Finally, the syndrome of postpartum thyroid dysfunction is reviewed, stressing the importance of proper diagnosis and the need for long-term follow-up evaluation of these patients.

Female

A comparison of propylthiouracil versus methimazole in the treatment of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to demonstrate that propylthiouracil and methimazole are equally effective and safe in the treatment of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Between 1974 and 1990 records were available on 185 pregnant patients with a history or diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. Ninety-nine patients were treated with propylthiouracil and 36 with methimazole. The response to therapy was compared with respect to the time to normalization of the free thyroxine index and the incidences of congenital anomalies and hypothyroidism. RESULTS: The time to normalization of the free thyroxine index was compared in the two groups by means of survival analysis. The median time to normalization of the free thyroxine index on propylthiouracil and methimazole was 7 and 8 weeks, respectively (p = 0.34, log-rank test). The incidence of major congenital malformations in mothers treated with propylthiouracil and methimazole was 3.0% and 2.7%, respectively. No neonatal scalp defects were seen. One infant was overtly hypothyroid at delivery. CONCLUSION: Propylthiouracil and methimazole are equally effective and safe in the treatment of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy.

Chi-Square Distribution

Low birth weight and preeclampsia in pregnancies complicated by hyperthyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether control of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy reduces the risk of low birth weight infants and severe preeclampsia. METHODS: Labor, delivery, and postpartum records of 181 hyperthyroid women were reviewed for maternal and fetal outcomes. Subjects were separated into three groups based on their thyroid status: controlled (n = 34), including women who were euthyroid at presentation and delivery; controlled during pregnancy (n = 90), including women who were hyperthyroid at presentation and euthyroid at delivery; and uncontrolled (n = 57), including women who were hyperthyroid at presentation and delivery. RESULTS: The risk of low birth weight infants was 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18-3.08) among controlled women, 2.36 (95% CI 1.36-4.12) among women who were controlled during pregnancy, and 9.24 (95% CI 5.47-15.6) among women who were uncontrolled during pregnancy compared to the incidence among nonhyperthyroid mothers. The risk of severe preeclampsia was significantly higher (odds ratio 4.74, 95% CI 1.14-19.7) among uncontrolled women compared with those who were controlled during their pregnancies. Elevated TSH-receptor antibody levels were not related to preeclampsia. Maternal thioamide therapy did not adversely affect neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSION: Lack of control of hyperthyroidism significantly increases the risk of low birth weight infants and severe preeclampsia.

Female

Insulin-requiring diabetes in pregnancy: a randomized trial of active induction of labor and expectant management.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to assess whether a program of expectant management of uncomplicated pregnancies in mothers with insulin-requiring gestational or pregestational class B reduces the incidence of cesarean birth. STUDY DESIGN: Two hundred women with uncomplicated, insulin-requiring diabetes at 38 weeks' gestation who were compliant with care and whose infants were judged appropriate for gestational age were randomly assigned to (1) active induction of labor within 5 days or (2) expectant management. The expectant management group was monitored with weekly physical examination and twice-weekly nonstress tests and amniotic fluid volume estimation until delivery. RESULTS: Expectant management increased the gestational age at delivery by 1 week. Approximately half (49%) of the mothers in the expectant management group required induction of labor for obstetric indications. The cesarean delivery rate was not significantly different in the expectant management group (31%) from the active induction group (25%). The mean birth weight (3672 +/- 407 gm) and percentage large for gestational age, as defined by birth weight > or = 90th percentile, of infants in the expectantly managed group (23%) was greater than those in the active induction group (3466 +/- 372 gm, p < 0.0001, 10% large for gestational age). This difference persisted after controlling for gestational age and maternal age and body weight (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In women with uncomplicated insulin-requiring gestational or class B pregestational diabetes, expectant management of pregnancy after 38 weeks' gestation did not reduce the incidence of cesarean delivery. Moreover, there was an increased prevalence of large-for-gestational-age infants (23% vs 10%) and shoulder dystocia (3% vs 0%). Because of these risks, delivery should be contemplated at 38 weeks and, if not pursued, careful monitoring of fetal growth must be performed.

Adult

Transient hyperthyroidism and hyperemesis gravidarum: clinical aspects.

OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to describe the presentation and course of hyperemesis gravidarum with respect to thyroid function and to test the hypothesis that patients with biochemical hyperthyroidism differ in clinical presentation from euthyroid hyperemesis patients. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty-seven patients seen at Los Angeles County Women's Hospital over a 10-month period with hyperemesis gravidarum were studied prospectively with respect to thyroid function. RESULTS: Forty-four patients (66%) had biochemical hyperthyroidism (increased free thyroxine index [n = 39] or suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone [n = 40]) that was self-limited, resolving by 18 weeks' gestation. Hyperthyroid patients were more likely than euthyroid patients to have abnormal electrolyte levels (23/39 [59%] vs 6/28 [21%] and increased liver enzyme levels (23/59 [59%] vs 5/28 [18%], p less than 0.01). The severity of hyperemesis was found to vary directly with the degree of hyperthyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperthyroidism is a common, self-limited finding in hyperemesis. The cause of the hyperthyroidism may be linked to the cause of hyperemesis itself.

Adolescent

The role of chorionic gonadotropin in transient hyperthyroidism of hyperemesis gravidarum.

Biochemical evidence of hyperthyroidism is frequently encountered in hyperemesis gravidarum, but its relationship to the cause of hyperemesis is unknown. We studied the relationship of serum hCG, thyroid function, and severity of vomiting among 57 hyperemesis patients and 57 controls matched for gestational age. TSH was suppressed in 60% of hyperemesis patients and 9% of controls. hCG correlated directly with free T4(r = 0.45, P < 0.001) and inversely with TSH (r = -0.48, P < 0.001). Hyperemesis patients had significantly greater mean serum hCG, free T4, total T3, and estradiol, and lesser serum TSH compared to controls. Hyperemesis patients with suppressed TSH had significantly greater free T4 and hCG compared to those with TSH in the normal range. Control and hyperemesis subjects were divided into four groups based on the severity of vomiting. The degree of biochemical hyperthyroidism and hCG concentration varied directly with the severity of vomiting. Unextracted serum was tested for thyrotropic activity by measuring its effect on iodide uptake in cultured FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells. Thyrotropic activity correlated with serum hCG (r = 0.50, P < 0.001). These data show that biochemical hyperthyroidism is a common finding in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum and suggest that hCG is the thyroid stimulator in this state. The increased estradiol concentration in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum may be attributed to the effects of hCG on steroidogenesis.

Acute Disease

Serum lipids within 36 mo of delivery in women with recent gestational diabetes.

We prospectively evaluated fasting serum total cholesterol (chol), low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-chol and HDL-chol), and triglycerides (TGs) in a large cohort of Hispanic women during the first 36 mo after pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In 1340 women studied 6-12 wk postpartum (PP-GDM group), chol and LDL-chol were similar to levels in 43 postpartum control subjects without prior GDM. Compared with control subjects (2.01 +/- 1.24 mM), TG was elevated in the PP-GDM women with diabetes mellitus (DM) (2.86 +/- 2.21 mM, P less than 10(-5)) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (2.64 +/- 1.68 mM, P = 0.02) but not in those with normal glucose tolerance (2.00 +/- 1.21 mM). HDL-chol was decreased in PP-GDM women with DM compared with those with normal glucose tolerance. A subgroup of 157 women with prior GDM returned for at least one annual follow-up test on nonhormonal contraception (FU-GDM: n = 60 at 3-11 mo after delivery, n = 78 at 12-23 mo, and n = 39 at 24-35 mo). The cumulative prevalence of DM by 36 mo was 40%. Chol or LDL-chol levels did not significantly change during the 1-yr intervals in the FU-GDM group and were similar to a control group of 36 women without prior GDM. TG was elevated and HDL-chol was decreased in the FU-GDM women with DM at 3-11 mo but not thereafter. Overall, the prevalence of moderate- and high-risk LDL-chol in the FU-GDM group was not different from that of control subjects. These findings suggest that lipid abnormalities are uncommon during the first 36 mo after delivery in women with recent GDM. The abnormalities found consisted of increased TG and decreased HDL-chol in subjects who had developed DM during the study period.

Adult

Effect of low-dose oral contraceptives on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in women with recent gestational diabetes: results of a controlled, randomized, prospective study.

Women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to one of two low-dose oral contraceptives to evaluate the effect of low-dose oral contraceptives on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. A cohort of similar women requesting a non-oral-contraceptive method served as controls. The two oral contraceptives studied were ethinyl estradiol (0.035 mg)-norethindrone (0.40 mg) and ethinyl estradiol (0.030 to 0.040 mg)-levonorgestrel (0.050 to 0.125 mg). A 75 gm, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test and a fasting lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterols) were performed at entry, after 3 months, and after 6 to 13 months of treatment. The prevalence of diabetes at 6 to 13 months (27/156 patients) was not significantly different between groups (non-oral-contraceptive group, 17%; ethinyl estradiol-norethindrone, 15%; ethinyl estradiol-levonorgestrel, 20%). When examined by prior gestational diabetes mellitus class, diabetes mellitus was present in 7% of prior class A1 and 29% of women with prior class A2 disease (p less than 0.001). Mean cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly improved in all three groups at 3 months and at 6 to 13 months, whereas triglycerides remained unchanged. There were no differences in cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or triglycerides levels between the groups. After 6 to 13 months, there was a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the ethinyl estradiol-norethindrone group compared with the ethinyl estradiol-levonorgestrel and non-oral-contraceptive groups.

Adult

Gestational diabetes mellitus: the prevalence of glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus in the first two months post partum.

To determine the prevalence of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism in the early postpartum period in women with gestational diabetes mellitus, we performed 2-hour oral glucose tolerance tests between 5 and 8 weeks post partum in 246 women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus. Patients were stratified into three study groups based on their fasting serum glucose level during pregnancy: (1) group A1: all fasting serum glucose levels during pregnancy less than 105 mg/dl without insulin therapy; (2) group A2: any fasting serum glucose levels greater than 105 and less than 140 mg/dl before insulin therapy; (3) group B1: any pregnancy with fasting serum glucose levels greater than 140 mg/dl. Overall, 48 (19%) of the patients had an abnormal oral glucose tolerance test in the early postpartum period; 25 (10%) had impaired glucose tolerance and 23 (9%) had diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of postpartum diabetes mellitus (2% in group A1, 9% in group A2 and 44% in group B1) increased in parallel with the degree of maternal metabolic decompensation during pregnancy (p less than 0.05 for A1 versus A2; p less than 0.001 for A2 versus B1). The prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance was likewise greater in the B1 group (26%) than in either the A1 or the A2 group (p less than 0.05). Gestational age less than 24 weeks at diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus was an additional risk factor for postpartum glucose intolerance. Our findings support the use of an oral glucose tolerance test in the early puerperium, especially for patients with elevated fasting serum glucose levels during pregnancy.

Blood Glucose

Thyroid disease in pregnancy.

The recognition of thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy is important, since, untreated, it may cause maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In this article, the author reviews the relationship of maternal and fetal-placental thyroid function, the interpretation of thyroid tests during gestation, and the management of common thyroid problems that may complicate pregnancy.

Adult

Antepartum fetal surveillance in diabetic pregnant patients.

The antepartum fetal surveillance (biochemical and biophysical) data of 140 pregnant diabetic patients were evaluated. We determined how often intervention occurred on the basis of abnormal tests and correlated each test with neonatal outcome. Fifteen of the total 140 patients had their pregnancies terminated because of abnormal biochemical and/or biophysical tests. An abnormal estriol (E3) value preceded the abnormal antepartum fetal heart rate testing in eight of 10 instances. We conclude that the major benefit of the antepartum fetal surveillance techniques, in this group of patients and under the present scheme, is in determining when not to intervene, thus allowing safe prolongation of pregnancy.

Estriol

Successful outcome of pregnancy in women with hypothyroidism.

Published data on the influence of hypothyroidism on fertility, gestation, and the offspring are controversial. We studied nine hypothyroid women during 11 pregnancies. Mean serum values for thyroxine, triiodothyronine (T3), resin T3 uptake ratio, and thyroid-stimulating hormone were 2.3 microgram/dL, 82 ng/dL, 0.64, and 105 mU/mL, respectively. Four patients had iatrogenic hypothyroidism (three remote thyroidectomy, one remote 131I therapy), two Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and three idiopathic primary hypothyroidism. Seven patients first presented untreated after the 24th week of gestation. Two patients needed cesarean section; seven delivered vaginally. There was one stillborn infant in the only patient with pre-eclampsia. Another infant had Down's syndrome and an ostium primum defect (mother's age, 41 years). The remaining nine infants were normal at birth. All placentas were normal. Follow-up in seven infants up to 2.7 years showed normal thyroid function and somatic development. Infants of hypothyroid mothers may be normal because their hypothalamic-pituitary thyroid axis develops independently from the mother.

Adult

Management of hyperparathyroidism in pregnancy with oral phosphate therapy.

Hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy is associated with greatly increased perinatal morbidity and mortality. Severe neonatal hypocalcemia and tetany is a particularly serious complication. Surgical removal of the abnormal parathyroid glands is currently recommended during pregnancy in view of the severity of the complications in the untreated patients and the favorable results in patients who have had surgery during pregnancy. Two patients are reported in whom surgery during pregnancy could not be performed. They were treated with oral phosphate, which successfully decreased serum calcium; their infants remained normocalcemic throughout the neonatal period. It is suggested that in selected cases medical treatment with oral phosphate can be an effective therapeutic alternative and surgery may be postponed until after delivery.

Administration, Oral