Congenital hypothyroidism (CH), as seen in the neonatal period, is predominantly caused by defects in the organogenesis (athyreosis, ectopic thyroid, thyroid hypoplasia) or by specific defects in hormonogenesis (dyshormonogenesis). Central hypothyroidism is rare, being linked to specific transcription factors involved in the maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis or by mutations in the TSH-beta gene. Dyshormonogenesis may be caused by mutation coding for thyroid proteins such as the TSH receptor, the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS), the pendrin (Pendred's syndrome), thyroid peroxidase (TPO), thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid dehalogenase, the receptor for thyroid hormone (TR-beta) or thyroid transport proteins (TBG, transthyretin). Usually, most of these defective genes will induce a phenotype with goiter and variable degree of hypothyroidism that may be present in the neonatal period or will gradually develop during post-natal life. Moreover, the genetic expression may be partial or total according to the specific mutation occurring in the involved genes.
Ectopic thyroid; Thyroid hypoplasia; Dyshormonogenesis; Mutations; Thyroid genes; Congenital hypothyroidism
