ABSTRACT
Background: Serum thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH] is advised to assess thyroid function and can be used to replace TFTs
Objective: To evaluate the role of TSH only for diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction in tertiary care hospital
Methodology: Study design: Cross sectional study. Study setting: Endocrinology, section of Pathology Department and Surgery Department of Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan
Study Subjects: Patients referred for routine thyroid disease from surgical ward were selected for study. Their history was taken and detailed clinical examination was carried out
Data Collection: Data of all the patients in whom TSH, fT[4] and fT[3] tests or TSH and fT[4] were ordered by clinicians during the period of study was collected. ffT[3] , fT[4] and TSH were analyzed by fourth generation of ECLIA. Samples were assayed in batches, and sometimes 3 4 assays were performed in duplicate when necessary
Results: This study shows that TSH only strategy has 100% sensitivity in both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid cases when TSH plus fT was taken as golden standard, whereas in hypothyroid cases 4 specificity was 86% and in hyperthyroid cases was 90%
Conclusion:This study shows that TSH only strategy can be used as first line test for the diagnosis of thyroid disease and it has good sensitivity and specificity, as many patients with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism are diagnosed primarily on the basis of TSH measurement only