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Pharmacopsychiatry 2006; 39(2): 77-78
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-931546
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Interrelations between Lithium Therapy, Auto-Immune Thyroiditis and TSH

A Case ReportF. Mouaffak1 , R. Gourevitch1 , N. Baup1 , H. Lôo1 , J. P. Olié1
  • 1INSERM E0117, Pathophysiology of Psychiatric Disorders, University Paris Descartes, Faculty of Medicine, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 25.8.2005 Revised: 7.11.2005

Accepted: 8.11.2005

Publication Date:
23 March 2006 (online)

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The case of a 30-year old female patient treated with lithium for bipolar disorder, who developed an autoimmune thyroiditis resulting in thyroid failure, is presented. Although she was kept on lithium, the patient relapsed into three subsequent manic episodes. Blood tests finally revealed high TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) level and satisfying lithium plasma level, but intra-cellular lithium concentration was close to zero. The authors present a review of the related literature and discuss the implication of the lithium therapy in the onset of autoimmune thyroiditis and the influence of thyroid failure and TSH level on the lithium cellular concentration.

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Dr. R. Gourevitch, MD

Service Hospitalo-Universitaire (Pr Olié)

Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne

7, rue Cabanis

75014 Paris

France

Phone: +33 1 44 38 52 70

Fax: +33 1 44 38 52 79

Email: r.gourevitch@ch-sainte-anne.fr