[Incidence of antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibodies in thyroid pathology]

A systematic study of antibodies directed against thyroglobulin on one side, and against microsomes on the other side, was made during two consecutive years on a hospital population of out patients supposed to suffer from a thyroid affection: about one fourth of the serums is positive for at least one of the two antibodies; the benefit of searching antimicrosomal antibodies is capital, but the simultaneous research of thyroglobulin antibodies is necessary. The consequences of this screening are developed in three main pathologic fields: hypothyroidism (real frequency of Hashimoto's disease in spontaneous myxodema); hyperthyroidism (prognostic implications of antibodies presence); normothyroid subjects (screening of clinical thyroid abnormalities).