| Hashimoto's disease is a disease characterized by the | | | | also occur as a self-limited condition which lasts 2-6 |
| immune system attacking the thyroid gland. . A family | | | | months, resolving spontaneously, and leaving most |
| history of thyroid disorders is common, with the | | | | patients with normal thyroid function. Chronic thyroiditis |
| HLADR5 gene most strongly implicated conferring a | | | | or Hashimoto's disease is a common thyroid gland |
| relative risk of 3 in the UK. The person may | | | | disorder that can occur at any age, but it is most often |
| experience symptoms of hyperthyroidism at first when | | | | seen in middle aged women. It is more prevalent in |
| the thyroid may actually produce too much thyroid | | | | women than in men (8:1), and its incidence increases |
| hormones. It is caused by a reaction of the immune | | | | with age Blood tests of thyroid function are used to |
| system against the thyroid gland. Hashimoto's disease | | | | detect Hashimoto's disease. Patients with this form of |
| is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the | | | | thyroiditis sometimes exhibit so few symptoms that |
| United States. Hashimoto's disease, also known as | | | | the disease may go unnoticed for many years, but |
| chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, causes inflammation of | | | | eventually it may destroy so much thyroid tissue that |
| your thyroid gland that often leads to underactive | | | | hypothyroidism develops. |
| thyroid (hypothyroidism). Lymphocytic thyroiditis may | | | | |