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BACKGROUND: Fasting the month of Ramadan should be achieved by every pubescent Muslim unless they have an excuse. Fasting involves complete abstinence of oral intake throughout daytime. Patients who have hypothyroidism usually require levothyroxine (L-thyroxine) replacement, which is typically given on an empty stomach away from meals. Taking L-thyroxine replacement without feeding is challenging during the nighttime of Ramadan, in addition to being prohibited during daytime. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the best time of L-thyroxine intake during Ramadan. METHODS: Fifty patients who were taking L-thyroxine treatment for primary hypothyroidism were involved in this prospective study for three months including the fasting and pre-fasting months. The patients were divided into three groups with different times of L-thyroxine intake. In the group one (pre-iftar), the patients were asked to take L-thyroxine at the time of iftar (the sunset meal) but to delay any oral intake for at least 30 minutes. In the group two (post-iftar), the patients were asked to take L-thyroxine two hours after iftar. The patients in the last group (pre-suhoor) were asked not to eat in the last two hours before suhoor (the predawn meal) and to take L-thyroxine tablet one hour prior to suhoor. RESULTS: When thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were compared before and after Ramadan, there were no significant differences neither within each group nor among all the study groups. Moreover, the frequencies of the TSH control after Ramadan showed no significant differences within each of the study groups (P = 0.18, 0.75, 1.0 for pre-suhoor, pre-iftar, and post-iftar respectively). Similarly, comparison among the groups of the study showed no significant differences regardless of whether the patients had controlled or uncontrolled TSH prior to Ramadan (P = 0.75 and 0.67, respectively). In the patients with controlled TSH before Ramadan, 8 out of 10 (pre-suhoor), 8 out of 12 (pre-iftar), and 4 out of 6 (post-iftar) maintained their control after Ramadan. While in the patients with uncontrolled TSH before Ramadan, 7 out of 10 (pre-suhoor), 6 out of 8 (pre-iftar), and 2 out of 4 (post-iftar) achieved controlled TSH after Ramadan. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in TSH control were observed in patients taking L-thyroxine at pre-iftar, post-iftar, or pre-suhoor time in Ramadan.
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Background: Sellar and parasellar region lesions spectrum includes a wide variety of diseases. This study aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of such lesions in patients from Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism Center (FDEMC) in Basrah (Southern Iraq). Methods: Retrospective data analysis from FDEMC for the period January 2012 through June 2017. We included all patients with sellar and parasellar region lesions who received a MRI scan on their pituitary region Results: The total enrolled patients were 232 (84 men and 148 women),with age range 15-75 years.Pituitary disease and adenoma were more common among women. Those with macroadenoma were older than those with microadenoma, with nearly equal gender prevalence of macroadenoma. Pituitary adenoma constituted the bulk of pituitary disease in this setting (67.2%). Growth hormone secreting adenoma were the most common adenoma seen in 41.0%, followed by clinically non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) in 31.4% and prolactinoma in 26.9%. About 64.8% of pituitary adenoma was macroadenoma. Macroadenoma was seen in 73.4% of growth hormone secreting adenoma (acromegaly), 61.2% in NFPA and 62.0% of prolactinom a(of them six were giant prolactinoma). Conclusion: Pituitary adenoma constituted the bulk of sellar and parasellar region lesions, growth hormone secreting adenoma is the the most common adenoma followed by NFPA and prolactinoma due to referral bias. A change in practice of adenoma treatment is needed.
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BACKGROUND: Thyroid function test results of healthy pregnant women differ from those of healthy non-pregnant women. This study aimed to determine trimester-specific reference ranges for total tetraiodothyronin (T4), free T4, total triiodothyronin (T3) and thyroid stimulation hormone (TSH) using electrochemiluminescence techniques from apparently healthy pregnant women in Basrah. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted between January 2014 and June 2015. The total enrolled pregnant women were 893. Clinical examination, estimation of free T4, total T4, total T3, TSH, and anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) using electrochemiluminescence technique done for each. RESULTS: Trimester specific normal range of TSH in µIU/mL was 0.04-3.77, 0.30-3.21 and 0.60-4.50 µIU/mL respectively, for each trimester. For FreeT4, the trimester specific reference range was 0.8-1.53, 0.7-1.20 and 0.7-1.20 ng/dL for each trimester, respectively. The reference range for total T4 for the first, second and third trimester was 7.31-15.00, 8.92-17.38, and 7.98-17.70 µg/dL, respectively. Furthermore, last trimester specific reference range for total T3 was 0.90-2.51, 1.99-2.87 and 1.20-2.70 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: Using this thyroid function study, we established for first time trimester-specific reference ranges for each thyroid function test and thyroid antibody status for the first time in Iraq. The reference ranges are different from all previous studies outside Iraq and the reference kit range from the method we used.
