The sorbitol tolerance test(STT) was undertaken in twenty patients with hyperthyroidism(4 males and 16 females) and correlation between STT and the thyroid function test, bromsulphalein retention test (B.S.P.) and serum transaminase (SGOT) activity was observed.
The results were as follows:
1. STT showed abnormal curves in 85% of 20 patients with hyperthyroidism while abnormalities -of the B.S.P.-retention and serum transaminase activity were found in 57.8% and 21% of the 19 patients, respectively.
2. Both STT and B.S.P. retention were not significantly related to any of the variations of the severity of thyroid function tests including 131I uptake,T4, T3 test and thyroidal weight, nor to duration of the disease.
3. In 7 cases out of 20 patients, histological findings of the liver by needle biopsy showed mild inflammatory cellular infiltration around the periportal area and the hepatic loubles, without any correlate in most of the cases to the severity of thyroid function test, STT and B.S.P. retention.
It is suggested from these results that the sorbitol tolerance test may be one of the diagnostic methods more sensitive than B.S.P. retention and transaminase in the assessment of liver injury in hyperthyroidism.
|