Evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of filter paper in
screening of congenital hypothyroidism

Razzaghi-Azar , Maryam; Sepehran, Mina; Lesani-Gouya , Bahareh

Volume 81, Issue 3 (June 2023) Tehran Univ Med J 2023, 81(3): 211-216 | Back to browse issues page

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Razzaghi-Azar M, Sepehran M, Lesani-Gouya B. Evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of filter paper in screening of congenital hypothyroidism. Tehran Univ Med J 2023; 81 (3) :211-216
URL: http://tumj.tums.ac.ir/article-1-12427-en.html

Evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of filter paper in screening of congenital hypothyroidism

Maryam Razzaghi-Azar ^*

¹, Mina Sepehran²

, Bahareh Lesani-Gouya³

1- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran.| Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3- Department of health, Faculty of health, Iran university of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract: (631 Views)

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most preventable causes of mental retardation throughout the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of filter paper in screening for congenital hypothyroidism and to determine an appropriate cut-off point for filter TSH for recalling screened neonates.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study (descriptive analytic), the records of 2739 neonates who had been recalled during the CH screening program in the east of Tehran, Iran (health care centers of the Iran University of Medical Sciences), from March 2011 to March 2015, were studied. According to the CH screening program in Iran, the TSH on filter paper>5 is the current cut-off point for recalling the neonates. The data was analyzed with SPSS software, version 21. The ROC curve was used to determine the TSH cut-off point and the sensitivity and specificity of the filter test. The relationship between the filter and serum TSH was also determined. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Iran University of Medical Sciences.
Results: The recall rate was 5.4%. The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 3/1000 neonates (164). The prevalence in males and females was 51.1% and 48.9%, respectively, with no significant difference. The number of recalled neonates diagnosed as patients with congenital hypothyroidism based on the filter TSH level was 5
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, considering the kits available in the country and their sensitivity and specificity, the importance of diagnosing infants with congenital hypothyroidism, and the lower cost of filter paper than missing a hypothyroid infant, the current cut-off point is acceptable. However, more studies are needed in different regions of Iran to obtain more accurate results.

Keywords: congenital, diagnosis, hypothyroidism.

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Type of Study: Original Article |