Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J McGaffee.
Hyperthyroidism is often confused with psychiatric illnesses. Undiagnosed hyperthyroidism sometimes results in inappropriate use of psychotropic medications. Delay in therapy markedly worsens the prognosis for recovery, but complications can be prevented by early treatment. Prompt recognition of hyperthyroidism through thyroid function screening is good medical practice in the evaluation of patients with psychiatric symptoms.
Hypothyroidism can often be misdiagnosed as psychiatric illness. The hypothyroid patient may present with depression, an organic mental disorder, apathy and/or frank psychosis (usually with paranoid symptoms). Psychiatric manifestations of the endocrinopathy will abate with thyroid hormone replacement therapy, unless the disease state has been sufficiently prolonged to cause some irreversible brain damage. This irreversibility mandates prompt diagnosis and specific hormonal replacement therapy. Thus, thyroid function screening is recommended for patients presenting with depression, psychosis or organic mental disorder.