BONE-MINERAL DENSITY IN PATIENTS RECEIVING SUPPRESSIVE DOSES OF THYROXINE FOR DIFFERENTIATED THYROID-CARCINOMA

To determine bone mineral density in patients with differentiated thyr oid carcinoma receiving thyroxine replacement therapy in suppressive d oses, we studied 65 patients (47 women and 18 men; age 25-83 years, me an +/- SD 52.5 +/- 15.4 years). Patients were free of thyroid cancer i n clinical and laboratory examinations at the time of the study. Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and both hips was measured by dual -energy X-ray absorptiometry. There was no decrease in bone density in either 32 postmenopausal or 15 premenopausal women compared with an a ge- and sex-matched control group, nor was any decrease in bone densit y found in men. Our data suggest that thyroxine treatment in suppressi ve doses in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma is not a ri sk factor for the development of osteoporosis.