Authors
Anjalia, Radha Rania, Sabeena Sa, Poulose K Pa
a Department of Medicine, SUT Hospital, Pattom Thiruvananthapuram*
Abstract
Introduction: Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AITD) or Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is the most common organ specific auto immune disorder resulting in the dysfunction of the thyroid gland (hyper or hypofunction) and includes Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) (or chronic autoimmune thyroiditis) which has specific histo-pathological findings.
Materials and Methods: 100 consecutive patients with a histological diagnosis of autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimotos thyroiditis with either symptoms of thyroid dysfunction and / or thyroid swelling who attended SUT Hospital Thyroid clinic, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram are included in the study.
Findings: Out of 100 patients studied 64% (64 patients) were having HT and 36% were having AIT. Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies (TPO Ab) were estimated only in 95 patients; out of which 84 patients were tested positive (88%) and 11 were tested negative (12%). Anti thyroglobulin antibody (ATG Ab) estimation was done in 73 patients and 49 patients were tested positive (67%) and 24 patients were negative (33%). The ultrasound findings of the patients studied revealed 53 patients with multi nodular goitre, 20 with diffuse goitre, 2 with cystic thyroid nodules, 22 with thyroiditis features (i.e., diffuse or focal coarse echo texture in the thyroid gland – generalised or focal thyroiditis), and 3 patients with solitary nodule.
Discussion: Autoimmune thyroiditis is not a rare disease, but under diagnosed. All patients with a thyroid swelling should be subjected to TFT and antibodies estimation followed by FNAC. If all these tests are in favour of AIT, there is no need of any urgent surgery unless there is an indication such as pressure symptoms, rapid enlargement or suspicion of malignancy.
Keywords: Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Ultrasound, Antibodies