title: The thyroid disease in the elderly: Our experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of elderly people in Italy is growing, so it is important to study the presentation of diseases in these subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected 1362 patients who underwent thyroidectomy for different thyroid diseases from January 2008 to December 2014. The patients weredivided into two groups, according to the age. The patients aged 65 years and over were included in the group A, and the patients under the age of 65 years were included in the group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thyroid diseases in the elderly often present with atypical symptoms which are very similar to symptoms of the aging process. In elderly hypothyroidism occurs frequently sub-clinically and hyperthyroidism is often presented with cardiovascular symptoms. In our study we evaluated the differences in incidence of thyroid diseases in the elderly and in the younger groups of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data analyzed in this study showed that in the elderly we have a reduced secretion and metabolization of thyroid hormones. The symptomatology in the elderly is nonspecific and can create a delay in the correct diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Advanced Technologies " G.F.Ingrassia", University of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: cannizzaromatteoangelo@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Matteo Angelo
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cannizzaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Advanced Technologies " G.F.Ingrassia", University of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: a.buffone@unict.it.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buffone
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Advanced Technologies " G.F.Ingrassia", University of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: salvo.lobianco@alice.it.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lo Bianco
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Advanced Technologies " G.F.Ingrassia", University of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: okvaleria@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Valeriya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Okatyeva
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Advanced Technologies " G.F.Ingrassia", University of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: dariocavallaro@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Advanced Technologies " G.F.Ingrassia", University of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: va.caruso@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Advanced Technologies " G.F.Ingrassia", University of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: cagliapi@unict.it.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caglià
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Ageing; Elderly; Hyperthyroidism; Hypothyroidism; Thyroid