Focal lymphocytic thyroiditis in Southampton

The presence of focal collections of lymphocytes within the thyroid gland has been associated with autoimmune thyroiditis. In a prospective study 197 thyroid glands were examined from post mortems performed in two Southampton hospitals over a 12 month period. The mean thyroid mass was 19.5 g in women and 22.2 g in men. Varying degrees of focal lymphocytic thyroiditis were present in 54 per cent of women and 24 per cent of men. Morphometry showed that on average less than 4 per cent of the gland was infiltrated by lymphocytes. There was no significant relationship with age. A possible association between focal lymphocytic thyroiditis and circulating thyroid autoantibodies has been shown.