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Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease) - Symptom

Alternative Names

Hashimoto's thyroiditis; Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis; Autoimmune thyroiditis

Symptoms:

Constipation
Difficulty concentrating or thinking
Dry skin
Enlarged neck or presence of goiter
Fatigue
Hair loss
Heavy and irregular periods
Intolerance to cold
Mild weight gain
Small or shrunken thyroid gland (late in the disease)

Other symptoms that can occur with this disease:

Note: There may be no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

Laboratory tests to determine thyroid function include:

Free T4 test (low)
Serum TSH (high)
T3 (low or normal)
Thyroid autoantibodies:
- Antithyroid peroxidase antibody
- Antithyroglobulin antibody

Imaging studies are generally not needed to diagnose Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

This disease may also change the results of the following tests:

Complete blood count
Radioactive iodine uptake
Serum prolactin
Serum sodium
Total cholesterol

Endocrine glands

Thyroid enlargement - scintiscan

Hashimoto's disease (chronic thyroiditis)

Thyroid gland

Reviewed last on: 6/17/2008
Elizabeth H. Holt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yale University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Ladenson P, Kim M. Thyroid. In: Goldman L and Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2007:chap 244.

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