Comparison of Thyroid Volumes by Ultrasonography in Patients With and Without Endometrioma
Comparison of Thyroid Volumes by Ultrasonography in Patients With and Without Endometrioma
The aim of our study is to evaluate whether there is a statistical difference between thyroid gland volume in patients with pathological diagnosis of endometriosis or endometrioma and in patients who underwent surgery for other gynecological reasons, and to reveal the presence of concomitant thyroid disease in these cases.
Transcripts and proteins involved in thyroid metabolism are dysregulated in the eutopic and ectopic endometrium of endometriotic patients, leading to triiodothyronine (T3) action, resistance, and local thyroxine (T4) accumulation of the ectopic endometrium. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) acts as a proliferative and prooxidative hormone in all endometriums of endometriosis patients and controls. Mouse studies have confirmed that endometriotic implants are larger when thyroid hormones are increased.
Since endometriosis is characterized by a chronic inflammatory process, the high prevalence of autoimmune thyroid diseases in patients with endometriosis may be the result of immune dysregulation observed in women with endometriosis (5). Thyroid involvement has already been described in the physiology of the endometrium and ovary, and thyroid diseases are often associated with gynecological and obstetric disorders such as infertility, miscarriage or preterm delivery.
Despite all the links between thyroid diseases and endometriosis, there is no study related to thyroid volume in patients with endometriosis so far. Thyroid volume was studied in patients with diabetes mellitus, pregnant women, and scleroderma. We believe that the evaluation of thyroid volume in patients with endometriosis will contribute to the investigation of the relationship between these two pathogenesis, and to the treatment and follow-up approach.
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