Choosing Wisely: 5 Pediatric Endocrinology Tests to Avoid

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

The endocrinology section of the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a list of five tests clinicians should avoid as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign.

These include:

• Hormone tests (luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and estradiol or testosterone) in children with pubic hair or body odor but without other signs of puberty

• Screening tests for chronic illness or endocrine conditions in healthy children growing at or above the third percentile for height (at a normal growth rate) and with appropriate weight gain

• Routine measurement of serum vitamin D in healthy children, including those who are overweight or obese

• Measurement of thyroid function or insulin levels in obese children

• Routine ultrasound of the thyroid in children with simple goiters or autoimmune thyroiditis