Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24275187›Full record

ReviewBest practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism2013

Pitfalls in the measurement and interpretation of thyroid function tests.

Olympia Koulouri, Carla Moran, David Halsall, Krishna Chatterjee, Mark Gurnell

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Best practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 101 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
101citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
5.5field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

101 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 274 citations in OpenAlex.

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  11. Imatinib Induced Thyroid Dysfunction in BCR::ABL1 Positive Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Patients: Sokal Score as a Predictor.Indian journal of hematology & blood transfusion : an official journal of Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion · 2025
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  20. Thyroid dysfunction in COVID-19.Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2024
    Review

41 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Olympia KoulouriMetabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome Trust - MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge and National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK.
Carla Moran
David Halsall
Krishna Chatterjee
Mark Gurnell
Addenbrooke's Hospital · GBNational Institute for Health Research · GBNIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research CentreUniversity of Cambridge · GB

Funding

Wellcome Trust 095564
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Thyroid function tests (TFTs) are amongst the most commonly requested laboratory investigations in both primary and secondary care. Fortunately, most TFTs are straightforward to interpret and confirm the clinical impression of euthyroidism, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. However, in an important subgroup of patients the results of TFTs can seem confusing, either by virtue of being discordant with the clinical picture or because they appear incongruent with each other [e.g. raised thyroid hormones (TH), but with non-suppressed thyrotropin (TSH); raised TSH, but with normal TH]. In such cases, it is important first to revisit the clinical context, and to consider potential confounding factors, including alterations in normal physiology (e.g. pregnancy), intercurrent (non-thyroidal) illness, and medication usage (e.g. thyroxine, amiodarone, heparin). Once these have been excluded, laboratory artefacts in commonly used TSH or TH immunoassays should be screened for, thus avoiding unnecessary further investigation and/or treatment in cases where there is assay interference. In the remainder, consideration should be given to screening for rare genetic and acquired disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis [e.g. resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH), thyrotropinoma (TSHoma)]. Here, we discuss the main pitfalls in the measurement and interpretation of TFTs, and propose a structured algorithm for the investigation and management of patients with anomalous/discordant TFTs.

Indexed as

Thyroid Function TestsFemaleHumansHyperthyroidismHypothyroidismMalePregnancyThyroid GlandThyroid HormonesThyroid Hormonesacquired and genetic disorders of hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axisanomalous/discordant thyroid function tests (TFTs)assay interference

Identifiers

PMID24275187
PMCPMC3857600
OpenAlexW2008114180

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.