Hodgkin's disease and hyperthyroidism

In recent years we have had the occasion to observe hyperthyroidism in 6 patients with Hodgkin's disease. All patients had received Mantlefield irradiation and were disease-free when hyperthyroidism appeared. Hyperthyroidism allows three different pictures to be distinguished: 1 case report of Graves' disease without ophthalmopathy, 1 case report of Hashimoto's thyroiditis corresponding to a particular form called hashitoxicosis, and 4 case reports of atypical silent thyroiditis. Reports concerning case studies of postirradiation Graves' disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis during Hodgkin's disease are only to be found exceptionally. Atypical silent thyroiditis was recently individualized, but no postirradiation case studies have been reported. It is suggested that these 6 cases represent a radiation-induced immune thyroid disease: physiopathology and predisposing factors are discussed.