congestive heart failure

my husband lab of T4 revealed a 1.4 mcg/dl?  what does that mean?
also, his chest x-ray revealed  bilateral small pleural effusions (right>left)
and +Kerley B lines?  What does it man for a perihilar infiltrates?

What does that mean...our doctor did not explain much on his about his tests?

[Yvette BG]

Hi Marie--

The thyroid gland makes the thyroid hormones, T4 and T3. Usually, the doctors test both the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level and the T4 when they're looking to see if a person's thyroid is working properly. A low T4 level can signal a problem with the thyroid gland or a problem with the pituitary. (The pituitary gland has to be working right in order to stimulate the thyroid gland to make T4 hormone.)

Sources vary as to what lab values are considered normal; I'm not a doctor so hopefully, I have some up-to-date information--T4 levels normally fall between 4 and 11. However, if they did a special test called a Free T4 test, a normal range is 0.8-1.8. Do you know if they did a regular T4 test, or did they do a Free T4 test? Has the doctor talked about putting your husband on any medication for his thyroid?

If a person's thyroid is found to be underactive (hypothyroidism), this can increase the risk of congestive heart failure if left untreated, especially in older adults.

A pleural effusion is an accumulation of fluid between the layers of tissue that line the lungs and the chest cavity. Pleural effusions can result from many conditions, such as bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, cancer, and congestive heart failure (CHF). The most common reason for pleural fluid to accumulate in both pleural cavities (bilaterally) is CHF.

Kerley lines are thin opacities (on an X-ray), due to fluid or cellular infiltration into the interstitial area of the lungs. There are Kerley A and Kerley B lines; Kerley B are far more common. Kerley lines can be due to many conditions--pulmonary fibrosis, past exposure to heavy metals, cancer, multiple episodes of pulmonary edema, etc.

It sounds like a number of things are going on with your husband. I would ask the doctor questions about how he is doing, what he thinks is/are causing your husband's pleural effusions and Kerley lines, and what the treatment plans are.

Hope the above explanation was of help. Please keep us posted as to how he is doing.

---Yvette