hashimoto's thyroiditis

Question 1

what does low thyroxine level + high TSH mean?

Answer 1

• low level of T4 suggests that the thyroid gland isn’t producing enough of this hormone
• elevated TSH levels suggest that the pituitary gland is trying to stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormones (T4 and T3) because the levels in the blood are low.

Question 2

what is a goitre?

Answer 2

abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland

Question 3

what is Hashimotos’s thyroiditis and what causes it?

Answer 3

• autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, leading to chronic inflammation and potential damage to the thyroid tissue
• causes : genes, germs ( bacteria, virus ), environment ( excessive radiation )

Question 4

what is levothyroxine? mechanism of action

Answer 4

• synthetic T4 hormone used to treat hypothyroidism
• acts as a replacement in deficiency syndromes such as hypothyroidism
• levothyroxine gets converted into T3
• thyroid hormones increase in the blood due to levothyroxine supplementation - signals the pituitary gland to decrease the production of TSH - regulate the overall thyroid function.

Question 5

why could there be a change in voice?

Answer 5

• goiter’s physical impact on the structures in the neck, particularly the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the trachea
• recurrent laryngeal nerve is crucial for controlling the muscles of the vocal cords

Question 6

histology of goiter compared to normal thyroid histology

Answer 6

• enlargement of Thyroid Tissue
• presence of nodules or irregular growths
• cell arrangement might vary, usually uniform