Thyroiditis and Thyroid Function: Clinical, Morphological, and Physiopathological Studies

Abstract

The authors have done an admirable job in coherently presenting the multiple facets of thyroiditis and thyroid diseases. The biochemical, functional, pathological, clinical, hereditary, and autoimmune aspects of thryoiditis are expounded in 15 carefully planned and well-organized chapters. The first two chapters are introductory, dealing with the normal structure and function of the thyroid gland and the general principles and theories of autoimmunity. The bulk of the book is devoted to discussions of each variant of thyroiditis. Carefully structured, the presentations include the clinical features, pathological and laboratory findings, iodide and hormone metabolism, etiology, diagnosis, and therapy. Illustrative case histories for each disease entity are concise and very instructive. The concluding chapters deal with chromosomal abnormalities, heredity, and diseases associated with thyroiditis, which strengthen the main object of the book, namely the understanding of the mechanisms responsible for this intriguing disease entity. The number of references quoted at the end