Focal lymphocytic thyroiditis in Southampton.
The presence of focal collections of lymphocytes within the thyroid gland has been associated with autoimmune thyroiditis. In a prospective study 197 thyroid glands were examined from post mortems performed in two Southampton hospitals over a 12 month period. The mean thyroid mass was 19.5 g in women and 22.2 g in men. Varying degrees of focal lymphocytic thyroiditis were present in 54 per cent of women and 24 per cent of men. Morphometry showed that on average less than 4 per cent of the gland was infiltrated by lymphocytes. There was no significant relationship with age. A possible association between focal lymphocytic thyroiditis and circulating thyroid autoantibodies has been shown.
D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D013954:Thyroglobulin