Estimation of tissue hypothyroidism by a new clinical score: evaluation of patients with various grades of hypothyroidism and controls

The classical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism were reevaluated in the light of the modern laboratory tests for thyroid function. We analyzed 332 female subjects: 50 overt hypothyroid patients, 93 with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH), 67 hypothyroid patients treated with T4, and 189 euthyroid subjects. The clinical score was defined as the sum of the 2 best discriminating signs and symptoms. Beside TSH and thyroid hormones, we measured parameters known to reflect tissue manifestations of hypothyroidism, such as ankle reflex relaxation time and total cholesterol. Classical signs of hypothyroidism were present only in patients with severe overt hypothyroidism with low T3, but were rare or absent in patients with normal T3 but low free T4 or in patients with SCH (normal thyroid hormones but elevated basal TSH; mean scores, 7.8 +/- 2.7 vs. 4.4 +/- 2.2 vs. 3.4 +/- 2.0; P > 0.001). Assessment of euthyroid subjects and T4-treated patients revealed very similar results (mean score, 1.6 +/- 1.6 vs. 2.1 +/- 1.5). In overt hypothyroid patients, the new score showed an excellent correlation with ankle reflex relaxation time and total cholesterol (r = 0.76 and r = 0.60; P > 0.0001), but no correlation with TSH (r = 0.01). The correlation with free T4 was r = -0.52 (P > 0.0004), and that with T3 was r = -0.56 (P > 0.0001). In SCH, the best correlation was found between the new score and free T4 (r = -0.41; P > 0.0001) and TSH (r = 0.35; P > 0.0005). Evaluation of symptoms and signs of hypothyroidism with the new score in addition to thyroid function testing is very useful for the individual assessment of thyroid failure and the monitoring of treatment.