[Morphofunctional characteristics of the thyroid in drug addicts].

Changes in the thyroid were studied of 34 patients who had died of heroin overdosing. Antibodies against hepatitic C virus were found in the serum of all the deceased. Alterations in thyroid tissue detected by morphological, histochemical and morphometric examinations correlated with serum content of hormones cT4, oT3 and TSH. The degree of structural changes in the thyroid correlated with duration of heroin use, its dose and its combination with other pharmacological drugs.