Autoimmune thyroid disease.

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Immunology
• Thyroidology

Background:

• Thyroid autoimmune diseases are a complex group of disorders.
• Current understanding includes several clinical entities affecting thyroid function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the scope of thyroid autoimmune disease.
• To clarify the classification of related clinical conditions.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing clinical entities associated with thyroid autoimmunity.
• Analysis of immunological and clinical associations.

Main Results:

• Thyroid autoimmune disease classification now includes primary thyrotoxicosis, goitrous thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), primary myxedema (atrophic thyroiditis), some sporadic nontoxic goiters, most neonatal hyperthyroidism, and some congenital athyreotic cretinism.
• Endocrine exophthalmos is recognized as immunologically distinct from Graves' disease.

Conclusions:

• The definition of thyroid autoimmune disease has been expanded.
• Endocrine exophthalmos is now considered a separate immunological entity.