MedicoTips.Com

Amiodarone has high iodine content, because of the high iodine content it may affect the thyroid gland. It can either cause hypothyroidism or thyrotoxicosis. Approximately 1 out of every 6 patients who are using amiodarone develops thyroid dysfunction. 1. Amiodarone-induced hypothyroidism (AIH).  If a patient's TSH is high and Free T4 is low, it means the patient has developed hypothyroidism. In this situation, start thyroxine and if possible amiodarone should be stopped, but it is not necessary, if the patient still has symptoms such as ventricular tachycardia or arrhythmias then you may continue amiodarone, just add thyroxine and monitor thyroid function every 6 weeks first then maybe after 3 months or 6 months, depending on the clinical scenario. 2. Amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (Hyperthyroidism).  If the patient has developed hyperthyroidism, then it is advised to stop amiodarone and start an anti-thyroid drug such as carbimazole, if it is type 1 amiodarone-indu...

Acromegaly is a condition which results due to excess of growth hormone. Growth hormone is secreted by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland under the influence of growth hormone releasing hormone which is secreted by the hypothalamus. Causes of acromegaly.  In 90% of cases, the cause of growth hormone excess or acromegaly is Pituitary adenoma while other 10% causes include; Ectopic secretion of growth hormone or growth hormone releasing hormone by some tumour. Diagnosis of Acromegaly It is diagnosed by the clinical features, which include; large spade-like hands, frontal bossing, large jaw and gigantism. IGF 1 and growth hormone level are raised and MRI of the brain usually show pituitary adenoma.  Treatment of Acromegaly.  Any of the following regimens can be tried.  Surgery is the first line: Transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenoma is the first line treatment, and usually cure the disease.  Dopamine agonists, for example, bromocr...

Carbimazole (Neo-Mercazole), an antithyroid drug, which is used as a first line agent to treat hyperthyroidism, has a half-life of 5.3 hours. It can be given as a single daily dose or in divided doses. Some physicians, recommend divided dose to minimize the gastrointestinal side effects, while the other physicians, recommend a single daily dose for better compliance. Research studies showed that the efficacy of carbimazole (Neomercazole) when taken as a single dose per day or in divided doses, is similar or comparable. The single daily dose of Neomercazole is found to be superior to "Divided-dose" method as it is associated with better compliance. It may be difficult for patients to remember taking the divided doses. Sometimes, the patient may forget to take the evening dose. So a single daily dose is especially effective for those patients who find it difficult to remember the timings of divided dose. Conclusion : A single daily dose of Carbimazole is superior to a di...

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which thyroid gland starts to secrete an increased amount of thyroxine in the blood. This, in turn, produces several effects in the body, including, palpitations, weight loss, increased appetite, heat intolerance, sleeplessness, generalized weakness and abortions. There are various causes that are responsible for this increased production of thyroxine by the thyroid gland. We will not go into this detail in this article but have explained it in a separate article, the link of which is stated below. Thyroid Diseases, an overview Hyperthyroidism in pregnancy should be treated, because it may result in fetal abnormalities. The thyroid hormone T3 and T4 crosses the placenta in small amounts. The amount of diffusion across the placenta decreases with the age of the pregnancy. But still, it may cross in significant amounts. The thyrotropin-releasing hormone and thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins (which are responsible for maternal hyperthyroidism) and be...

Bile is a golden or brownish yellow fluid that is secreted by the parenchymal cells of the liver. It is collected in small ductules that join together to form right and left hepatic bile ducts. The right and left hepatic ducts combine together to form a common hepatic duct. Common hepatic duct joins with the cystic duct to form common bile duct and common bile duct empties into the second part of the duodenum, after joining the pancreatic duct at Ampula of Vater. Cystic duct transport the bile secretion between the gallbladder and the common bile duct. The gallbladder stores the bile. Cholelithiasis and Choledocholithiasis mean the presence of stones in the gallbladder and common bile duct respectively, may occur due to a disturbance in the composition of bile. Composition of Bile Bile is composed of the following ingredients. It is composed mainly of water, inorganic and organic matter Inorganic constitutes: These include sodium, chloride, bicarbonate and potassium. Bicarbonate h...

Short Stature: The short height of an individual is recognized by comparing the height of the child with another child from the same population having similar genetic background by using the mid-parental height. Formula for Calculating Mid Parental Height For Females: Target height in cm = mother’s height in cm + (father’s height in cm – 13) / 2 For Males: Target height in cm = (mother’s height in cm + 13) + (father’s height in cm) / 2                Short stature may be normal or abnormal. So taking genetic background into account is very crucial to determine the physiological (normal) or pathological (abnormal) nature of short stature. For example, if both the parents have short height then the child will also have a short height and nothing much can be done to increase the height of such an individual. Moreover, short stature can be a symptom of some chronic or genetic disease and poor nutrition is an...