Thyroidal hormones are important for bone development, and ultrasonographic (US) evaluation of the distal femoral epiphysis (DFE) has recently been suggested as a new method for the assessment of skeletal maturity in infants. A delayed bone maturation, expressed by a smaller or absent DFE nucleus (in terms of DFE surface area, sum of the epiphyseal diameters, or DFE height and acetabular size), has been largely demonstrated in diagnosed hypothyroid infants, while no data analyze the role and meaning of the DFE dimensions (in terms of volume) in newborn before knowledge of the congenital neonatal screening results. The aims of the present study were to ultrasonographically evaluate the volume of DFE in newborns, and to determine whether it has any predictive role for the thyroidal status at birth.
Bone maturity and thyroidal status at birth: role of the ultrasonographic evaluation of the distal femoral epiphysis.
SAVINO, ALESSANDRA;CARINCI, SILVIA;BUCCI, INES;SABATINO, Giuseppe;CHIARELLI, Francesco;
2011-01-01
Abstract
Thyroidal hormones are important for bone development, and ultrasonographic (US) evaluation of the distal femoral epiphysis (DFE) has recently been suggested as a new method for the assessment of skeletal maturity in infants. A delayed bone maturation, expressed by a smaller or absent DFE nucleus (in terms of DFE surface area, sum of the epiphyseal diameters, or DFE height and acetabular size), has been largely demonstrated in diagnosed hypothyroid infants, while no data analyze the role and meaning of the DFE dimensions (in terms of volume) in newborn before knowledge of the congenital neonatal screening results. The aims of the present study were to ultrasonographically evaluate the volume of DFE in newborns, and to determine whether it has any predictive role for the thyroidal status at birth.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.