Relationship of ovarian and thyroid function.

In an investigation of relationships between ovarian function and thyroid function, three groups of ten women each were studied by means of radioactive iodine uptake. In the first group no significant changes were noted during normal menstrual cycles. The second group, women who had dysfunctional uterine bleeding and were under treatment with diethylstilbestrol, most of the patients had no significant change in the uptake of radioactive iodine. Three patients did show a small increase in the uptake. (A fourth patient had a very bizarre result with a very great increase in the uptake, but it is felt that some undetected error was involved.)The third group was made up of women without evident ovarian function. Under treatment with diethylstilbestrol one patient showed a small increase in iodine uptake. The other nine had no significant change. No convincing evidence was found of any change in thyroid function as measured by the uptake of radioactive iodine-either during normal menstrual cycles or following the administration of diethylstilbestrol in dosages of 3 mg. daily for two to three weeks.