Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system attacks the thyroid gland. It causes inflammation of the thyroid and is a common cause of hypothyroidism. Symptoms resemble those of hypothyroidism and include fatigue, weight gain, and dry skin. The condition is diagnosed through blood tests showing high thyroid stimulating hormone and the presence of antibodies against thyroid proteins. Treatment involves lifelong thyroid hormone replacement medication.

1. HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS
SIJO.A

3. INTRODUCTION
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition that
is a common cause of hypothyroidism.
• In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the body mounts an immune
reaction against its own thyroid gland tissue, leading to
inflammation of the gland (thyroiditis).
• Thyroid gland is an endocrine gland. It secretes
triiodothyronine (T3) and its prohormone, thyroxine (T4).
• These hormones act on the basic metabolic rate, protein
synthesis etc.

4. CAUSES
• It is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body
inappropriately attacks the thyroid gland - as if it was
foreign tissue.
• The underlying cause of the autoimmune process
remains unknown.
• Tends to occur in families.
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis is 5 to 10 times more common in
women than in men and most often starts in adulthood.
• Blood drawn from people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis
typically reveals an increased number of antibodies
against thyroid-specific proteins, including
thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin.

5. • T lymphocytes, a type of cell involved in the
inflammation process, invade the thyroid gland cause
silent, painless inflammation that destroys it.
• ultimately, the individual produces little or no thyroid
hormone and becomes hypothyroid.

7. Normal thyroid diseased thyroid

9. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• Symptoms and signs of Hashimoto's thyroiditis
resemble those of hypothyroidism generally and are
often subtle.
• They are not specific (which means they can mimic
the symptoms of many other conditions) and are
often attributed to aging.
• Symptoms generally become more obvious as the
condition worsens.
• The majority of these complaints are related to a
metabolic slowing of the body.

10. • Common symptoms and signs of Hashimoto's
thyroiditis include:
– Fatigue
– Depression
– Modest weight gain
– Cold intolerance
– Excessive sleepiness
– Dry, coarse hair
– Constipation
– Dry skin
– Muscle cramps

11. – Increased cholesterol levels
– Decreased concentration
– Vague aches and pain
– Swelling of legs
• As hypothyroidism becomes more severe, there may
be:
– puffiness around the eyes,
– a slowing of the heart rate,
– a drop in body temperature,
– and heart failure.

12. • In its most profound form, severe hypothyroidism
may lead to a life-threatening coma (myxedema
coma).
• This condition requires hospitalization and
immediate treatment with thyroid hormone.
• Untreated hypothyroidism can lead to:
– an enlarged heart(cardiomyopathy),
– worsening heart failure,
– and an accumulation of fluid around the lungs(pleural
effusion)
– or heart (pericardial effusion).

13. • People with Hashimoto's thyroiditis often initially
experience a hyperthyroid phase (too much thyroid
hormone), called hashitoxicosis, as thyroid hormone
leaks out of the damaged gland as it is destroyed.
• Other symptoms include:
– Swelling of thyroid gland
– Difficulty in swallowing solids and/or liquids.

16. DIAGNOSIS
• To diagnose Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a physician should
assess:
– symptoms and complaints commonly seen in hypothyroidism,
– carefully examine the neck to look for enlargement of the
thyroid gland,
– and take a detailed history of family members.
• Blood tests are essential to diagnose Hashimoto's
thyroiditis.
• With chronic hypothyroidism, the thyroid hormone levels
fall, and the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
becomes high.

17. • The most useful assay for determining thyroid status
is measurement of TSH in the blood.
• The increase in TSH can actually precede the fall of
thyroid hormone to low levels by months or years.
• So the first sign of hypothyroidism may be an
elevated TSH level even when levels of thyroid
hormones are normal.
• The blood work mentioned above confirms the
diagnosis of hypothyroidism, but does not point to
an underlying cause.

18. • The combination of the patient's clinical history,
antibody screening, and a thyroid scan can help
diagnose the precise underlying thyroid problem.
• The blood tests also usually include an analysis of
antibodies (anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies) to aid
diagnosis.
• If the anti-TPO antibodies are elevated at all, the
diagnosis is made.

21. TREATMENT
• There is no known cure for Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
• Thyroid hormone medication can replace the hormones
the thyroid made before the inflammation started.
• Replacing one or both of these hormones can alleviate
the symptoms caused by the absolute or relative lack of
hormones as a consequence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
• The treatment of choice for Hashimoto's thyroiditis is
typically synthetic T4 or thyroxine (levothyroxine).
• Brand names for this medication include Synthroid,
Levothroid and Levoxyl.
• The dosage of levothyroxine may need to be modified
after checking TSH levels once yearly.

22. • Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition
in which the body perceives its own tissue as foreign.
There is no known way to prevent this condition.

24. FACTS
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of
hypothyroidism in the United States.
• The condition was named after Dr. Hakaru
Hashimoto, the doctor who described it in 1912.
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis is caused by an autoimmune
process that causes inflammation of the thyroid
gland.