Thyroid Testing

Essential to an accurate diagnosis, a profile of thyroid hormone action in a patient requires reliable methods. Automated technology has given clinical laboratories the ability to derive consistent results efficiently. The initial choice of laboratory tests for a particular case depends on the physician balancing multiple factors, including the clinical question being addressed, the degree of diagnostic accuracy required and the need for cost containment.

Patients suspected of thyroid dysfunction comprise the majority of individuals in whom thyroid testing is generally ordered. However, there is an increasing awareness that hyper and hypothyroidism are common enough events in certain patient populations to warrant thyroid function screening even when no overt clinical signs or symptoms of disease are evident. Mandatory screening for hypothyroidism in newborns serves as the best example. However, there are a variety of other indications, both absolute and relative, which should be considered in adult populations.

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For More Information

• American Thyroid Association
• Thyroid Foundation of Canada
• National Graves' Disease Foundation
• Gland Central
• American Association of Clinical Chemistry (Clinical Chemistry Journal)
• The Endocrine Society
• CLIANet (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments)
• NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards)