Lymphocytic thyroiditis. II. The course of the disease in relation to morphologic, immunologic and clinical findings at the time of biopsy.
Thirty-two patients with goitre and lymphocytic thyroiditis were followed for 1 1/2--19 years (average 7) after open surgical biopsy. Treatment with thyroid hormone was started when myxoedema was diagnosed. Five patients (group A) regained normal glandular size, remained euthyroid and had elevated antibody titres. Six patients (group B) continued to have goitre and elevated antibody titres and remained euthyroid. Thirteen patients (group C) developed myxoedema, while 8 (group D) demonstrated myxoedema at the time of biopsy. The patients in groups C and D had a higher average age and their biopsies showed more marked fibrosis compared with groups A and B. The goitre disappeared during treatment in 62% of the patients and the microsomal antibody titre also decreased in them, whereas the thyroglobulin antibody titre decreased in all treated patients. The results indicate that the degree of fibrosis in the thyroid gland is of overall importance for the prognosis with regard to glandular function. It seems evident that the treatment with thyroid hormone influences the autoimmune process so that the activity decreases.
D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008861:Microsomes / Q000276:immunology; D009230:Myxedema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000503:physiopathology; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D000906:Antibodies; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D013954:Thyroglobulin