Laboratory Tests/Clinical Procedures

Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS)

Measures circulating glucose in a patient who has fasted at least 8 hours

Serum and urine tests

Measures hormones, electrolytes, glucose, etc. in blood and urine as indicators of endocrine function

Thyroid function tests

Measures T3, T4, and TSH in the bloodstream

Normal levels for FBS

Levels up to 100 mg/dL

Levels of FBS that may indicate impaired fasting glucose or pre-diabetes

100 to 126 mg/dL

Levels of FBS when diabetes is typically diagnosed

Fasting blood glucose levels 126 mg/dL or higher

Expophthalmometry

Measures how far eyes protrude from eye socket, used in Grave’s disease patients

CT Scan

Cross-sectional x-ray images of the body, used to look for tumors/abnormalities in exocrine glands

MRI

Uses radio waves and magnets to produce detailed images of the brain and pituitary gland. Useful for detecting pituitary tumors

Radioactive Iodine Uptake (RAIU)

Measures how much radioactive iodine the thyroid gland absorbs, used to evaluate thyroid gland function

Thyroid Scan

Imaging test using radioactive material to show the size, shape, and activity of the thyroid gland

Ultrasound Examination

Uses sound waves to create images of organs and tissues, commonly used to examine the thyroid gland and detect nodules or cysts