American Board of Pathology (ABPath) Practice Test 2026 - Free Pathology Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

The assessment of thyroid function typically involves measuring the levels of thyroid hormones in the blood to evaluate a patient’s thyroid health. The most commonly evaluated thyroid hormones in lab work include T3 (triiodothyronine), T4 (thyroxine), and TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone).

T3 and T4 are the primary hormones produced by the thyroid gland, playing critical roles in regulating metabolism, energy production, and overall physiological functions. TSH, produced by the pituitary gland, serves as the regulatory hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland to produce T3 and T4. Elevated or decreased levels of these hormones can indicate various thyroid disorders, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

In contrast, while calcitonin and thyroid antibodies are important in specific clinical scenarios, they are not routinely evaluated in standard thyroid function tests. Calcitonin is more relevant in the context of medullary thyroid carcinoma, and thyroid antibodies are often assessed in autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Grave's disease. Thus, while these measurements provide useful information in particular cases, the combination of T3, T4, and TSH forms the cornerstone of thyroid function evaluation. This makes the option that includes these three as the