Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Other Known Aliases – autoimmune thyroiditis
Definition – autoimmune destruction of the thyroid gland
Clinical Significance – the gradual destruction of the thyroid gland will initially cause hyperthyroid symptoms, before progressing back to euthyroid, and eventually hypothyroid symptoms. As a result, the diagnosis can be tricky depending on where in the disease spectrum the patient is in. Overall, this is the most common cause/form of hypothryoidism and the most common autoantibodies are against thyroid peroxidase, thyroglobulin, and TSH receptors.
History – Named after Hakaru Hashimoto (1881-1934), a Japanese surgeon and general practioner, who received his medical doctorate from Fukuoka Medical College in 1907. He would study surgery under the direction of Hayari Miyake, Japan’s first neurosurgeon, and would publish his thesis findings on lymphomatous changes of excised thyroids in 1912, which would become the basis of his eponymous disease. He would frequently visit his patients in their homes, traveling almost exclusively by rickshaw, and was known not to charge his poorer patients any fees for his services.
References
- Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA. Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed. New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
- Bartolucci S, Forbis P. Stedman’s Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD; LWW. 2005.
- Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012). Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software]. Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
- Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
- Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
- Hashimoto H. Zur Kenntnis der lymphomatösen Veränderung der Schilddrüse (Struma lymphomatosa). Archiv für klinische Chirurgie. 1912;97:219-248.
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