[Postpartum thyroiditis and the contribution of ultrasonographic examination of the thyroid gland in its diagnosis during the first half-year after delivery].

Changes which take place in the thyroid parenchyma of the mother from postpartum thyroiditis and which lead to a change of echogenicity can be detected by ultrasonographic examination of the thyroid gland before clinical manifestation of impaired thyroid function caused by inflammation. The authors evaluated the echogenicity of the thyroid gland in 60 women three months after delivery. From the whole group of women 47 (78.4%) had a homogenous and adequate echogenicity, 13 (21.6%) had a reduced echogenicity. A positive cytological finding, i.e. lymphocytic infiltration was found in 9 women and concurrently positive antithyroglobulin antibodies in 5 of them. During the first six months after childbirth impaired thyroid function was recorded in 4, i.e. 6.6%: 1x hyperthyroidism and 3x hypothyroidism.