[Historical perspectives of the treatment of thyroid disease]

Although several findings of historical writings have been made, the exact role of the thyroid was not known in the ancient times. From the middle of the nineteenth century, the anatomy and the physiological role of the thyroid were gradually elucidated, and diagnostic and therapeutic modalities were developed. It has been 100 years since Theodor Kocher was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in pathophysiology and surgery of the thyroid. Fifty years have passed since radioactive iodine was first used for the diagnosis and the treatment of hyperthyroidism in Korea. Today, thyroid cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancy in Korean women. However, the detailed history of the thyroid disease has not been introduced in Korea. The aim of this paper is to describe the historical perspectives of the thyroid disease, especially focusing on the development of the treatment. The common thyroid disease were named after their discoverers, such as Graves and Hashimoto. It is meaningful to understand the historical background of the thyroid gland, because the important concepts in the area of endocrinology such as hormone replacement therapy, feedback mechanisms, and the use of isotopes were first established based on the research of the thyroid.