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Encyclopedia of Pathology pp 1–4Cite as

Hashimoto Thyroiditis

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  • First Online:

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Pathology ((EP))

Synonyms

Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis; Hashimoto struma; Lymphadenoid goiter; Struma lymphomatosa

Definition

Hashimoto thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease that destroys thyroid cells by cell and antibody-mediated immune processes. It is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in developed countries. Hashimoto first described this disease in 1912 in four women patients (Dana 2019).

Clinical Features

  • Incidence

    The incidence is estimated at 3.5/1000/year in women and 0.8/1000/year in men.

  • Age

    The disease has a peak incidence in the fifth decade of life and affected individuals range from children to older adults.

  • Sex

    Women are more often affected. The female-to-male ratio is ranging from 5 to 20:1.

  • Site

    In Hashimoto thyroiditis, there is a diffuse symmetric enlargement with bosselated or irregular surfaces and prominent pyramidal lobe.

  • Treatment and Outcome

    The mainstay of treatment for hypothyroidism is thyroid hormone replacement. The drug of choice is T4 (levothyroxine)...

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References and Further Reading

  • Caturegli, P., Kimura, H., Rocchi, R., & Rose, N. R. (2007). Autoimmune thyroid diseases. Current Opinion in Rheumatology, 19, 44–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dana, L. M., Ishwarlal, J., & StatPearls (Internet). (2019). Hashimoto thyroiditis (p. 5). Treasure Island: StatPearls Publishing.

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  • LiVolsi, V. A. (1990). Surgical pathology of the thyroid. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.

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  • Sadow, P. M., Heinrich, M. C., Corless, C. L., Fletcher, J. A., & Nosé, V. (2010). Absence of BRAF, NRAS, KRAS, HRAS mutations, and RET/PTC gene rearrangements distinguishes dominant nodules in Hashimoto thyroiditis from papillary thyroid carcinomas. Endocrine Pathology, 21, 73–79.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shih, M. L., Lee, J. A., Hsieh, C. B., Yu, J. C., Liu, H. D., Kebebew, E., Clark, O. H., & Duh, Q. Y. (2008). Thyroidectomy for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: Complications and associated cancers. Thyroid, 18, 729–734.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathology Unit, Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Pisa and University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Fulvio Basolo

Authors
  1. Fulvio Basolo
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  2. Agnese Proietti
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  3. Clara Ugolini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fulvio Basolo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands

    J.H.J.M. van Krieken

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Cite this entry

Basolo, F., Proietti, A., Ugolini, C. (2020). Hashimoto Thyroiditis. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5062-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5062-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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