Autoimmune thyroiditis: pathophysiology and relationship to thyroid cancer

Autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease) is one of a myriad of clinical entities associated with the endocrine system. The disease is thought to be a defect in the immune regulatory system. The following report is a study of 112 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis treated over a 10-year period. The incidence of malignancy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis in this study was 6.3%, which correlates well with the incidence of thyroid cancer seen in the general population at autopsy. We have concluded from this study that patients with autoimmune thyroid endocrinopathy are at no greater risk for the development of thyroid malignancy than the general population. A review of the pathophysiology of autoimmune disorders is discussed and recommendations for treatment of patients with Hashimoto's disease is provided.