Thyroid Support Center

Autoimmune Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy : Article by Phuong H Nguyen, MD
Thyroid disorders are the second most common endocrinopathies found in pregnancy. Thyroid disorders are estimated to affect 0.2% of all pregnancies.Autoimmune thyroid dysfunctions remain a common cause of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in patients who are pregnant.

Congenital Hypothyroidism : Article by Michael J Bourgeois, MD
Congenital hypothyroidism is inadequate thyroid hormone production in newborn infants. This can occur because of an anatomical defect in the gland, an inborn error of thyroid metabolism, or iodine deficiency.The term endemic cretinism initially was used to describe clusters of infants with goiter and cretinism in defined geographical areas.

De Quervain Thyroiditis : Article by Ildiko Lingvay, MD
The disease was first reported in 1825, but de Quervain recorded its pathological description in 1904.De Quervain (subacute granulomatous) thyroiditis is the most common cause of a painful thyroid gland. It is a transient inflammation of the thyroid, the clinical course of which is highly variable.

Euthyroid Hyperthyroxinemia : Article by Reetu Singh, MD
Euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia is defined as a condition in which the serum total or, rarely, the free thyroxine (T4) concentrations are abnormal without evidence of clinical thyroid disease.

Euthyroid Sick Syndrome : Article by Serhat Aytug  - Euthyroid sick syndrome can be described as abnormal findings on thyroid function tests that occur in the setting of a nonthyroidal illness (NTI) without preexisting hypothalamic-pituitary and thyroid gland dysfunction.

Hashimoto Thyroiditis : Article by Sylvester Odeke, MD
Hashimoto thyroiditis is part of the spectrum of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). By strict criteria, it is a histologic diagnosis first described by Hakaru Hashimoto, a Japanese surgeon working in Berlin, Germany. His report was based on the examination of 4 postoperative cases that he published in 1912.

Hypothyroidism and Myxedema Coma : Article by Craig A Manifold, DO
Hypothyroidism is a chronic endocrine-mediated disease process that slows bodily functions as a result of impaired or absent production of thyroid hormone. Symptoms can manifest in all organ systems. The disease typically progresses over months or years but can occur quickly following cessation of thyroid replacement medication or surgical removal of the thyroid gland.Myxedema coma, a rare, life-threatening condition, occurs in the progression of hypothyroidism.

Myxedema Coma: Article by Ruchi Mathur, M.D.  Myxedema coma is a loss of brain function as a result of severe, longstanding hypothyroidism (a condition in which too little thyroid hormone is produced). Myxedema coma is considered a life-threatening complication of hypothyroidism

Pretibial Myxedema: Article by Purnima Sau, MD  Pretibial myxedema (PTM) or, more appropriately, thyroid dermopathy is a term used to describe localized lesions of the skin resulting from the deposition of hyaluronic acid, usually as a component of thyroid disease. Although the condition is most often confined to the pretibial area, it may occur anywhere on the skin. It is nearly always associated with Graves disease.

Riedel Thyroiditis : Article by John L Boone, MD
Riedel thyroiditis (RT) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland. It is characterized by a dense fibrosis that replaces normal thyroid parenchyma. The fibrotic process invades adjacent structures of the neck. Approximately one third of RT cases are associated with multifocal fibrosclerosis.

Solitary Thyroid Nodule : Article by Andre Hebra, MD
True solitary nodules occur in 0.22-1.35% of the pediatric population as opposed to the adult population, in which the prevalence is closer to 4%. On further examination , thyroid masses often reveal asymmetric enlargement of one lobe, such as in unilateral agenesis, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (ie, Hashimoto thyroiditis), or other abnormalities such as lymph node or thyroglossal duct cysts.

Subacute Thyroiditis : Article by Stephanie L Lee, MD, PhD, FACE
Subacute thyroiditis is a self-limited thyroid condition associated with a triphasic clinical course of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and return to normal thyroid function. Subacute thyroiditis may be responsible for 20-25% of patients presenting with thyrotoxicosis and 10% of patients presenting with hypothyroidism.

The Thyroid Blog Dr Richard Guttler provides a daily diary based on his web consultations and rounds at the Santa Monica Thyroid Diagnostic Center. Features text and audio posts.

Thyroid Anatomy : Article by David Lemaire, MD
The thyroid is a brownish-red and highly vascular gland placed anteriorly in the lower neck, extending from the level of the fifth cervical vertebra down to the first thoracic.

Thyroid Cancer : Article by Pramod K Sharma, MD
Thyroid Cancer or malignancy occurs with relative infrequency in the US, amidst a setting where benign thyroid disease is relatively common. Although patients with thyroid cancers generally have a favorable prognosis when compared to patients with many other solid tumors, an estimated 1200 patients died of thyroid cancer in the US in 1998.

Thyroid Lymphoma : Article by Fernando Cabanillas, MD
Primary thyroid lymphoma can be defined as a lymphoma that arises from the thyroid gland. This definition excludes lymphomas that invade the thyroid gland because of either metastasis or direct extension from an adjacent lymph node. Primary thyroid lymphomas usually are of the non-Hodgkin type

Thyroid Nodule : Article by Steven K Dankle, MD
Thyroid Nodule - Nodular disease of the thyroid gland is quite common in the United States. The lifetime risk for development of a palpable thyroid nodule is estimated to be 5-10% and is more common in women than in men.

Thyroid Storm: Article by Abhay Singhal, MD Thyroid storm is an acute, life-threatening, thyroid hormone induced hypermetabolic state in patients with thyrotoxicosis. Thyroid storm may be the initial presentation of thyrotoxicosis in undiagnosed children.

Thyroid, Papillary Carcinoma : Article by Luigi Santacroce, MD
Thyroid, Papillary carcinoma is the more common well-differentiated cancer of the thyroid. Papillary/follicular carcinoma must be considered a variant of the papillary thyroid carcinoma (mixed form). Despite its well-differentiated characteristics, papillary carcinoma may be overtly or minimally invasive.

Thyroid, Pericardial Effusion : Article by Willian J Strimel, DO Pericardial effusion defines the presence of an abnormal amount and/or character of fluid in the pericardial space. It can be caused by a variety of local and systemic disorders, or it may be idiopathic. Pericardial effusions can be acute or chronic, and the time course of development has a great impact on the patient?s symptoms.