[Diagnostic and therapeutic problems of hyper- and hypothyroidism in the aged]

Hyper- and hypothyroidism in the elderly do--as many other diseases--not present with the typical clinical picture known from textbook descriptions. Thus hyperthyroidism may be the cause of common complaints and symptoms such as weight loss, fatigue, lack of appetite and cardiac failure with tachycardiac arrhythmias. Due to completely unspecific symptoms and signs, the hypothyroid elderly patient will initially be presented to a psychiatrist, neurologist, dermatologist, gastroenterologist or ENT-specialist rather than to an endocrinologist or geriatrician. The serious consequences which may result from overlooking hyper- and hypothyroidism in the elderly can be prevented if the possibility of thyroid disease is more frequently taken into consideration, if the diagnosis is based on modern in-vitro measurements, and if hyper- and hypothyroidism are systematically looked for in groups at risk, i.e. in inhabitants of old people's, homes, nursing homes as well as in patients of psychiatric and geriatric hospitals.