Hasibul Hasan Shirazee1, Manjushree Pradhan2, Tanushree Mondal3, Suvasmita Saha4, Rupkamal Das5
BACKGROUND
Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrinological problem affecting women
who present with ovulatory dysfunction resulting in infertility. Its milder form,
subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) characterised by mildly elevated thyroid
stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and normal free thyroxin (FT4) levels, may also
contribute to disturbed reproductive function. The prevalence of SCH has been
reported to be 0.7 % - 2.3 % in large series of unselected infertile women.
Undiagnosed and untreated thyroid diseases can be a cause for infertility as well
as sub fertility. Prevalence of hypothyroidism in the reproductive age group ranges
from 2 - 4 %. We wanted to study the prevalence of hypothyroidism as one of the
causes of infertility in infertile women who attended a tertiary care centre, to study
the prevalence of clinical / subclinical hypothyroidism in infertile women and to
assess the thyroid status in infertile women.
METHODS
This is a prospective observational study done in the Gynaecology and Obstetrics
outpatient department at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, India
from 1st January 2017 to 1st July 2018. 314 infertile women in the reproductive
age of 20 - 40 years attending the outpatient department were included in this
study.
RESULTS
In our study out of the total of 314 cases, 270 patients (86 %) were suffering from
primary infertility and 44 patients (14 %) had secondary infertility. Prevalence of
hypothyroidism (both clinical and subclinical) was 21.9 % (69 cases) among the
infertile patients attending outpatient department of a tertiary care centre. Clinical
hypothyroidism was detected in 7.3 % (23 cases) and subclinical hypothyroidism
was seen in 46 cases (14.6 %). Among the hypothyroid infertile patients, 75.4 %
(52 cases) was of primary infertility.
CONCLUSIONS
Hypothyroidism is an emerging cause of infertility (both primary and secondary).
Subclinical hypothyroidism is more prevalent than clinical hypothyroidism in
infertile women.
