Hyperpustic thyroid gland; steroid hazards

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to see the effects of dexamethasone [synthetic corticosteroid] on involution of hyperplastic thyroid gland in albino rats, and to evaluate its uses in thyroid diseases. Comparative histological study done in Postgraduate Medical Institute Lahore in 1998. 54 adult male rats were taken and divided at random into control group having 27 rats and experimental groups containing 27 rats. Control group was given normal diet along with 2 microgram of Potassium iodide for 21 days while experimental groups further subdivided into group A having 3 rats and group B and C containing 12 rats each. All the experimental groups were treated with Thiourea. Group A was sacrificed on day 22 after withdrawal of thiourea. Group B was given Potassium iodide after stoppage of thiourea on day 21 and were sacrificed on days 22, 26, 30 and 50 in 4 sub groups [B1- B4]. Group C was injected Dexamethasone daily from day 22 to day 50 and sacrificed on same days in 4 subgroups [C1-C2] to study involution process. Histologically experimental group A exhibited significant increase in width and length of follicular cells lining the small sized follicles having scanty colloid. The results of experimental subgroups B revealed early and complete involution whereas subgroups C showed significantly persistent hyperplastic changes in the form of tall follicular cells lining small empty follicles. Thus it was concluded that dexamehasone did retain hyperplastic changes during involution process, so steroid should consciously be used in thyroid diseases