The structural and functional state of the thyroid during physiological pregnancy

The structural and functional state of the thyroid was studied from ultrasonographic findings, the levels of triiodothyronine, thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone in 45 pregnant women in the second and three trimesters of pregnancy and in 25 non-pregnant women, whose age was 18-45 years. As compared to the controls, the group of pregnant women showed a significant increase in thyroid volume, an elevation of the levels of all the study thyroid hormones, and a reduction in thyroid-stimulating hormone, which did not exceed the reference limit. These thyroid structural and functional changes are regarded as metabolic rearrangement-induced physiological gestational ones in a pregnant woman.

thyroid, thyroid status, pregnancy