Question about the Thyroid

[mpelter]

Hi everyone,

I’ve decided to post a question on the thyroid. Here it is:

A mother brings her 16-month-old baby girl to a pediatrician because she thinks the baby is growing more slowly than normal. The doctor notes that the baby’s thyroid gland is greatly enlarged. He orders some blood tests. The results show that the baby’s plasma levels of T4 are low and plasma levels of TSH are high. Which one of the following is unlikely to be true?

a. The baby is usually lethargic.

b. The baby has a low body temperature.

c. The baby has not yet attempted to walk.

d. The baby’s brain development is retarded.

e. The baby has bone structure typical of that of a 2-year old.

Tell me which one is false and why. What type of thyroid disease does she have? Feel free to email me with your responses/questions!

Megan

[mpelter]

Hi Everyone!

 

The answer for this question is e. The girl has hypothyroidism (as seen from her low T4 and high TSH).

I’m glad that most of you that emailed me got it right. I know that there was some confusion over the type of thyroid disease.  I know that some thought it was Hashimoto's or other specific diseases. But, in this case the answer was meant to be more general.

 

Good Luck today,

Megan