Vanishing Hypothyroidism

Abstract

WE tend to think that the effects of any process that impairs thyroid function sufficiently to cause hypothyroidism are irreversible and that thyroxine-replacement therapy therefore needs to be lifelong. Some patients, however, regain normal thyroid function after having hypothyroidism for days or months, even years. In mechanistic terms, hypothyroidism can be reversible when thyroid follicular-cell injury is transient and not sufficient to limit the regenerative capacity of the gland or when exogenous or endogenous factors temporarily impair the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones but do not damage the thyroid.Most patients with subacute (painful) or silent (painless) thyroiditis, including . . .