[Clinical aspects of hyperthyroidism in aged patients]

Hyperthyroidism is difficult to diagnose in the elderly because at this age thyroid disorders are often insidious and atypical with non-specific symptoms. The diagnosis of thyroid disease may be particularly difficult in the presence of a multiple age-associated pathology which may mask the signs or symptoms of thyroid disease. The paper presents the clinical findings in 18 patients in whom the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis was established at the age of 65 or later.