child and thyroid issue

[chellabob]

Just wanted an opinion on my daughters recent visit with Dr.  She has gained about 50 lbs over the past year and a half.  She is 10, 4'11'' and 150 lbs. Her recent tests showed elevated tsh, t3 t4 etc were all normal. Throid antibodies were normal range as well.  Ultrasound of the neck showed a small nodule about 8mm.  All of these were performed in 2001 and 2002.  All was normal then-was just told to watch her diet because she metabolises slow.  She eats very little and very healthy and can't lose weight.  She has become moody, tired all the time, grades in school have recently dropped(she was always a straight A student) Hair falling out too!!!   Could this small nodule on her thyroid possibly cause the havac that she is going through?  Also thyroid problems run in our family. Myself with pregnancy related hyper and then hypo,All is resolved on it's own.  My mother had a nodule on her thyroid-radiation cleared her up.  Her mother had a goiter- her two sisters have thyroid problems as well.  Can all this be hereditary?

[chellabob]

Thank you for your response. Just got news of her recent thyroid scan.  My daughter has enlarged thyroid with several nodules, complex cyst and it also said evolving goiter.  Not really sure what this really means.  Her tsh last week came back from the lab showing an elevated tsh level, all other thyroid functions(t3, T4 and antibodies) are all in a normal range.  What could this mean and is there meds to help the goiter?

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

The small nodule is not likely contributing to her overall symptoms but needs to be re-evaluated.  If it has been since 2002 since testing, would repeat all the tests (including antibodies) as with her previous high TSH, family history and symptoms she has a higher chance of having thyroid disease.