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Pathogenesis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (chronic autoimmune thyroiditis) - UpToDate

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INTRODUCTION Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in iodine-sufficient areas of the world. It occurs in up to 10 percent of the population, particularly females, and its prevalence increases with age [1]. It is characterized clinically by gradual thyroid failure, with or without goiter formation, due to lymphocytic infiltration and autoimmune-mediated destruction of the thyroid gland involving apoptosis of thyroid epithelial cells [2]. Nearly all patients have high serum concentrations of antibodies against one or more thyroid antigens, along with an intense and diffuse lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid, which includes predominantly thyroid-specific B and T cells. Follicular destruction is the characteristic pathologic hallmark of thyroiditis. The cause of what is most commonly referred to as Hashimoto's thyroiditis is thought to be a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. The familial associ

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