L09 – Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders and Thyroiditis Flashcards
3 common causes of hyperthyroidism?
Graves’ disease
Toxic multinodular goiter
Toxic adenoma
2 causes of Transient hyperthyroidism?
Initial phase of Hashimoto thyroiditis
Subacute granulomatous thyroiditis
List symptoms of hyperthyroidism? think increased sympathetic activity
Irritability, nervousness/anxiety Heat intolerance, excessive sweating warm flushed skin
Tremors
Palpitations, tachycardia
Weight loss despite increase in appetite
Hypermotility of intestines»_space; steatorrhea
Proptosis (Graves’ disease)
Fatigue
List some primary, congenital causes of Hypothyroidism?
Thyroid dysgenesis
Dyshormonogenetic goiter
Enzyme defects in thyroid hormone synthesis
Most common cause of hypothyroidism?
Autoimmune: Hashimoto thyroiditis
List some iatrogenic causes of hypothyroidism?
surgical / radiation-induced ablation
Drug-induced, e.g.: lithium, iodides
What diseases cause secondary hypothyroidism?
hypothalamic / pituitary diseases
List some clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism in children?
cretinism:
Severe mental retardation
Short stature
Coarse facial features, protruding tongue
Umbilical hernia
List some clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism in older children and adults? think decreased sympathetic activity
- Constipation
- Cool, pale skin with decreased sweating
- Fatigue, reduced exercise capacity and weak pulse
- Apathy
- Mental sluggishness
- Non-pitting peripheral edema
- Broad and coarse facial features with enlargement of tongue and deepening voice
Explain how hypothyroidism causes reduced cardiac outut?
Low thyroid hormones = decreased transcription of Sarcolemmal genes (Ca-ATPase)/ SERCA = decreased cardiac output efficiency
List the 3 autoantibodies made in Grave’s disease?
- Thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI) = stimulatory *****
- Thyroid growth-stimulating immunoglobulins (TGSI) = stimulatory
- TSH-binding inhibitor immunoglobulins (TBII) = inhibitory
Explain why some patients with Grave’s can exp. hypothyroidism?
Stimulating and inhibiting immunoglobulins may coexist
> > spontaneously develop episodes of hypothyroidism
Compare the effects of TSI and Thyroid growth stimulating Ab?
TSI = IgG binds to TSH receptor»_space; mimics TSH»_space; Stimulate adenyl cyclase»_space; release thyroid hormones
TGSI = also targets TSH»_space; proliferation of thyroid follicular epithelium
Effect of TSH-binding inhibitor Ab?
Prevent TSH from binding to its receptor on thyroid follicular epithelial cells = inhibit thyroid cell function
3 clinical presentation signatures of Grave’s?
- Diffuse symmetrical enlargement of gland (goiter)
- thyrotoxicosis and related symptoms
- infiltrative ophthalmopathy/ Exophthalmos
Describe the gross changes to the thyroid gland in Grave’s disease? P/E result?
- Diffuse symmetrical enlargement: congested/ haemorrhagic
- Prominent vascularity, increased blood flow = Bruit
- Soft, Spongy, without well- defined nodules
3 pathological changes associated with infiltrative ophthalmopathy?
- Increase in inflammatory cells (mainly T cells)
- Accumulation of extracellular matrix = myxoid ground substance
- Increase in number of adipocytes (fatty infiltration)
> > > edema of retro-orbital tissue and extraocular muscles
displace eye forward
Complications of infiltrative opthalmopathy?
- Opthalmoplegia: extraocular muscles weaken over time
- Exophthalmos > corneal injury
Pathological changes seen in infiltrative dermatopathy?
Pretibial Myxedema:
- Dermis expanded due to Mucopolysaccharide deposits on skin over shins ***
» Pigmented nodules with Orange peel texture
Epidemiology and genetic mutations of Grave’s disease?
- Women predominant, 20-40
- HLA- DR9 in Chinese
- Polymorphism of Inhibitory T-cell receptor CTLA-4 & Tyrosine phosphatase PTPN22
Thyroid hormone level changes in Grave’s?
Elevated serum free T4, T3
Suppressed serum TSH
Serum autoantibodies
Radiological test for Grave’s?
I-123 scan: radioactive iodine uptake is diffusely increased
Ultrasound or CT scans
Describe the histological appearance of thyroid gland in Grave’s disease?
- Small thyroid follicles with PAPILLARY INFOLDINGS (loss of colloid content)
- Follicular cell hyperplasia
- SCALLOPING of colloid (pushed to periphery of follicles)
- Patchy LYMPHOCYTIC infiltration
Treatment options for Grave’s disease?
1)
i) Anti-thyroid drugs (e.g. methimazole, propylthiouracil, carbimazole)
ii) β-blockers e.g. propranolol = control/relieve the cardiac symptoms)
2) Nonradioactive iodine (inhibit T3/T4 release and peripheral conversion)
3) Refractory = Radioactive Iodine Ablation + lifelong T4 supplement
4) Refractory = Thyroidectomy
Ddx of Grave’s disease? think about the metrics and P/E exam (5)
Adenomatous nodules (nodular hyperplasia)
Toxic multinodular goiter (hyperthyroidism w/o autoAb)
Early Hashimoto thyroiditis = ‘Hashitoxicosis’
PAPILLARY thyroid CARCINOMA
Dyshormonogenetic goiter (inherited defect in T4/T3 metaolism)
Complications of treatments for Grave’s disease?
Radioactive iodine = follicular destruction, fibrosis, and dystrophic calcification = hypothyroidism
Anti-thyroid drugs = hyperplastic changes (degenerative, not malignant) + loss of colloid
Which condition resembles Grave’s histologically but has opposite thyroid hormone levels?
Dyshormonogenetic goiter
Low T3/T4 but high TSH = opposite to Grave’s