Congenital Goitrous Primary Hypothyroidism in Two German Families Caused by Novel Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Gene Mutations

Congenital hypothyroidism occurs with a prevalence of approximately 1: 3500. Defects in thyroid hormone synthesis which lead to goitrous hypothyroidism account for 10-15% of these cases. Several genetic defects have been characterized and mutations in the thyroid peroxidase (TPO) gene are the most common cause for dyshormonogenesis. So far, more than 80 mutations in the TPO gene have been described, resulting in a variable decrease in TPO bioactivity. Clinically TPO defects manifest with congenital primary goitrous hypothyroidism. We here present 2 children with congenital primary hypothyroidism, who were identified to have compound heterozygous TPO mutations. They both shared the same novel mutation in the TPO gene (C756R) in exon 13. One case presented with an apparently dominant inheritance of thyroid dyshormonogenesis.