RENAL, THYROID AND PARATHYROID FUNCTION DURING LITHIUM TREATMENT - LABORATORY TESTS IN 207 PEOPLE TREATED FOR 1-30 YEARS

A total of 207 patients (diagnoses revised according to DSM-III-R) att ended our outpatient clinic and were treated with lithium for 1-30 yea rs. They were subjected to conventional renal, thyroid and parathyroid function tests. With increasing treatment duration, the renal tests s howed only moderate deviations from expected reference values. No pati ent developed renal insufficiency. Oversubstitution (thyrotropin less than or equal to 0.1 mU/l) was suspected in 25% of the patients on thy roxine. Cross-sectionally unrecognized hypothyroidism was found in 6% of the patients. Elevated ionized serum calcium was found in 25% and e levated serum intact parathyroid hormone in 23% of the patients.