Tuesday 26 October 2010

MRCP revision battle 35.3: Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition causing hypothyroidism.


It is associated with high titres of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies or antithyroglobulin antibodies (neither are specific as they may also found in Graves' disease)


Patients with Hashimotos have a goitre due to lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltration.  The gotire is firm and non-tender.


Clinically patients' with Hashimotos may be hypothyroid, euthyroid or occasionally initially even hyperthyroid!



So lets move away from this autoimmune cause of hypothyroidism to look at drugs causing hypothyroidism...