Severe Hypothyroidism and Large Goiter due to Iodine Deficiency in an Adolescent Male in the United States: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Acquired hypothyroidism due to iodine deficiency is extremely rare in the United States due to the introduction of table salt iodization in the 1920s (Leung et al., 2012). We present the case of an adolescent male with a history of mild autism spectrum disorder and an extremely restrictive diet who was found to have iodine deficiency as the etiology for his rapidly enlarging goiter and antibody-negative hypothyroidism. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was 416 μIU/mL (0.350–5.500 μIU/mL), free thyroxine (T4) was <0.1 ng/dL (0.80–1.80 ng/dL), and triiodothyronine (T3) was 41 ng/dL (82–213 mg/dL) at diagnosis. The patient’s 24-hour urinary iodine was undetectable. He was started on iodine supplementation with rapid visible improvement of goiter within two weeks and normalization of thyroid function tests within four weeks. Thorough dietary history and nutritional screening are important in cases of acquired hypothyroidism and/or goiter. Alternatively, diets that are low in iodized salt, dairy, bread, and seafood should raise concern for iodine deficiency, and patients with suspected or proven iodine deficiency should be screened for hypothyroidism.