Abstract
Hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis are used by many as synonymous terms. However, thyrotoxicosis describes the clinical condition that covers symptoms following high concentrations of the thyroid hormones, T4 and T3, in extrathyroidal tissues, but without regard to the origin of these elevated hormone concentrations.
Hyperthyroidism on the other hand is used to denote hyperactivity in the entire or part of the thyroid that results in synthesis and release of thyroid hormones in excess of that required by the body to maintain euthyroidism.
Hyperthyroidism is the dominating cause of thyrotoxicosis. Thyrotoxicosis, however, can occur even when the elevated hormone levels are due to other disturbances in the thyroid, e.g. hormone leakage, as in various forms of thyroiditis, or administration of inappropriate high doses of thyroxine or triiodothyronine.
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Nyström, E., Berg, G., Jansson, S., Tørring, O., Valdemarsson, S. (2011). Causes of Thyrotoxicosis – an Overview. In: Thyroid Disease in Adults. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13262-9_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13262-9_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-13261-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-13262-9
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