In suspected primary myxedema, which laboratory pattern would you expect for FT4, THBR, and TSH?

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Multiple Choice

In suspected primary myxedema, which laboratory pattern would you expect for FT4, THBR, and TSH?

Explanation:
The key idea is the feedback control of the thyroid axis. In primary myxedema the thyroid gland underproduces hormones, so free T4 falls. The pituitary senses this drop and raises TSH to stimulate the thyroid, producing a high TSH level. THBR, a measure related to how thyroid-binding proteins interact with thyroid hormones, tends to decrease when there is less circulating thyroid hormone available. So the combination of low FT4, low THBR, and high TSH fits the pattern of primary hypothyroidism very well.

The key idea is the feedback control of the thyroid axis. In primary myxedema the thyroid gland underproduces hormones, so free T4 falls. The pituitary senses this drop and raises TSH to stimulate the thyroid, producing a high TSH level. THBR, a measure related to how thyroid-binding proteins interact with thyroid hormones, tends to decrease when there is less circulating thyroid hormone available. So the combination of low FT4, low THBR, and high TSH fits the pattern of primary hypothyroidism very well.

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