All issues > Volume 32(11); 1989

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1989;32(11):1533-1539. Published online November 30, 1989.

Effects of long-term anticonvulsant therapy of thyroid function.

Sei Joong Ko¹, Duk Hi Kim¹, Chang Jun Coe¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University Medical College, Seoul, Korea

Received: July 13, 1989;  Accepted: July 13, 1989.

Abstract

Serum concentrations of total triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) as well as serum thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured in 108 patients with childhood epilepsy taking anticonvul- sants and in 54 normal healthy children as control group. Of these 108 patients, 23 were treated with carbamazepine alone, 17 were phenytoin alone and the rest 68 were treated with combination of two or more drugs involving carbamazepine and phenytoin. The T4 and the TSH concentrations were depressed in anticonvulsant treated group, and the degree of the decrease was more severe in a group who had combination therapy with carbamazepine and phenytoin. And as for the treatment duration, the degrees of the decrease of the T4 and the TSH were most markedly observed in more than 5 year treatment group. There was no significant decrease in serum T3 concentration in any treatment group. The possible mechanisms of the influence of anticonvulsants on thyroid function were discussed. It is thought that thyroid function test would be needed during long-term anticonvulsant therapy.

Keywords :Anticonvulsant drug, Thyroid function