THYROTROPIN hormone deficiency is the rarest of all single pituitary tropic hormone deficiencies.1 Only 11 cases have been reported.1-8 The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test has been helpful in evaluating the majority of these cases.6 However, the recent availability of reliable bioassay tests for anterior pituitary hormones has made the diagnosis of this disorder more precise. The majority of cases have not shown the usual signs and symptoms of myxedema. This was true of the patient of this report who showed a peripheral neuropathy.
Report of a Case
This 45-year-old white woman was observed since October 1964. She complained of paresthesias in both hands and feet which slowly progressed over the past six to seven years. This was described as burning, numbness, tingling, and stiffness. Symptoms began first in the feet and a few years later involved the hands and fingers. The paresthesias in the feet