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Thyroid function tests
Thyroid function tests are used to tell whether your thyroid is working normally.
The most common thyroid function tests are:
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Total, or free
T4
(the main thyroid hormone in your blood)
T4
T4 (thyroxine) is the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland. A laboratory test can be done to measure the amount of free T4 in your blood....
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TSH
(the hormone from the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid to produce T4)
TSH
A TSH test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. TSH is produced by the pituitary gland. It tells the thyroid gla...
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T3
(the active form of the hormone -- T4 is converted to T3)
T3
Triiodothyronine (T3) is a thyroid hormone. It plays an important role in the body's control of metabolism (the many processes the body does to func...
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Other thyroid tests include:
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T3 resin uptake
(an older test that is rarely used now)
T3 resin uptake
The T3RU test measures the level of proteins that carry thyroid hormone in the blood. This can help your health care provider interpret the results ...
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Thyroid uptake and
scan
Scan
A thyroid scan uses a radioactive iodine tracer to examine the structure and function of the thyroid gland. This test is often done together with a ...
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- Thyroglobulin
References
Salvatore D, Davies TF, Schlumberger MJ, Hay ID, Larsen PR. Thyroid physiology and diagnostic evaluation of patients with thyroid disorders. In: Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, Kronenberg HM, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology . 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 11.
Weiss RE, Refetoff S. Thyroid function testing. In: Jameson JL, De Groot LJ, eds. Endocrinology: Adult and Pediatric . 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 78.
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Thyroid function test - illustration
One way to evaluate the performance of the thyroid is through blood testing. The thyroid function test is a group of common tests used to evaluate how the thyroid is functioning..
Thyroid function test
illustration
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Hypothyroidism
(In-Depth)
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Hypothyroidism
(Alt. Medicine)
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Thyroiditis
(Alt. Medicine)
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Iodine
(Alt. Medicine)
Review Date: 2/3/2016
Reviewed By: Brent Wisse, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Nutrition, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
