De Quervain Thyroiditis
Thyroiditis de Quervain is a subacute inflammation of the thyroid gland. In the context of thyroiditis de Quervain, general symptoms such as exhaustion and fatigue occur. The thyroid gland can be painful when palpated.
Additional symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches and clinical signs of hyperthyroidism. In comparison to acute thyroiditis, the lymph nodes are not noticeable. As a general rule, there is no risk of infection in subacute thyroiditis.
The causal viral infection is usually healed by the time it starts. Subacute thyroiditis is named after the Swiss physician De Quervain. Its occurrence is often observed after viral infections of the respiratory tract.
In contrast to the acute form, the disease progresses insidiously. Mostly women between the ages of 30 and 50 are affected. In the majority of cases, subacute thyroiditis is cured spontaneously.
Anti-inflammatory drugs can be taken to support the healing process. They have an analgesic effect. Acetylsalicylic acid, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is suitable for this therapy. Cortisone preparations are also used in the treatment.
Hashimoto Thyroiditis
In adult women, the reduction in the size of the thyroid gland is most common in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This is also an autoimmune disease. It sometimes occurs in conjunction with other autoimmune diseases.
These include Addison’s disease, Turner syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. In the course of this autoimmune disease the thyroid gland tissue is attacked and destroyed. Antibodies are often produced, but not in every patient suffering from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
This means that the antibodies here are not responsible for or proving the disease as in Graves’ disease. The symptoms are very different: While some patients are almost symptom-free, others suffer from a wide variety of symptoms, which often first make one think of completely different diseases.In general, symptoms of hyperthyroidism usually appear first, followed by symptoms of hypothyroidism. The cause of the disease cannot be treated, therefore the diseased patients are treated with L-thyroxine to balance the hormone balance, which is disturbed by the destruction of the tissue.
The exact course of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is difficult to predict. The destruction of the tissue leads to an inability to produce hormones. For this reason, they must be replaced for life.
Regular ultrasound and laboratory checks are important in the course of the disease. An acute inflammation of the thyroid gland is usually caused by bacteria. These enter the thyroid gland via the blood or lymphatic pathways.
Inflammation of the throat, tonsils or sinuses is a possible starting point for the infectious process. Among the rare triggers are radioactive radiation, the intake of certain drugs, an injury to the organ and an autoimmune reaction. Inflammation can also occur after infections with fungi and in the case of syphilis and tuberculosis.
Thyroiditis after pregnancy shows a subacute course. Its cause is based on autoimmune processes. A frequent cause of goiter is a chronic iodine deficiency.
A lack of iodine in the thyroid gland leads to increased formation of various growth factors. They can cause a swelling of the organ. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease with increased hormone production.
It manifests itself through hyperthyroidism and inflammatory tissue proliferation behind the eyeball. Autoantibodies that stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more hormones are the cause of the hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism comprises the underfunctioning of the thyroid gland up to the total loss of its function.
