Tiroiditis

Abstract

IntroductionThe term thyroiditis encompasses some relatively common inflammatory disorders of the thyroid gland, which have been classified according to their aetiology and course length. Etiopathogeny, classification and clinical courseInfectious agents cause acute suppurative thyroiditis, an unusual disorder that does not generate thyroid dysfunction. De Quervain's thyroiditis is the most common subacute thyroiditis. It is a self-limited process that is typically presented with a sharp pain in the anterior neck. The clinical course is bimodal: usually starts with a thyrotoxic period followed by a hypothyroid phase and eventually return to a euthyroid state. Others subacute thyroiditis are postpartum and silent thyroiditis. Both of them are painless temporary conditions of an autoimmune origin. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most representative of chronic thyroiditis. It has an autoimmune origin and normally progresses to a permanent hypothyroidism. Uncommon thyroiditis includes drug-related thyroiditis and the exceedingly rare Riedel's thyroiditis. Prognosis and treatmentThe treatment relies on the aetiology, but thyroiditis generally have a benign course.