Inappropriate thyroid-stimulating hormone release in the elderly?

In three hyperthyroid women aged more than 60 years serum TSH levels, inhibited as usual before treatment, rose and remained elevated for more than one year while on treatment with methimazole and l-thyroxine, in spite of serum T3 and T4 levels within the normal range. In two hypothyroid women aged more than 60 years, serum TSH levels, raised under basal conditions, failed to be suppressed by a one-year treatment with l-thyroxine. Repeated attempts to increase serum T3 and T4 concentrations by giving additional doses of l-thyroxine or by tapering methimazole dosage, led to clinical signs of hyperthyroidism, not accompanied by a significant reduction of serum TSH levels. These data indicate the possibility of an inappropriate TSH release in some elderly people.