What Are The Types Of Thyroiditis?

Silent Thyroiditis

Silent thyroiditis is a type of thyroiditis that occurs when a patient's immune system launches an attack on the cells that make up their thyroid gland, causing it to become damaged. Silent thyroiditis blends characteristics of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and de Quervain's thyroiditis. Labs in individuals affected by silent thyroiditis tend to show raised levels of thyroid hormones in the blood but lower levels of iodine uptake. This form of thyroiditis is deemed to be silent because thyroid pain is a rare occurrence. The course of silent thyroiditis is similar to that of de Quervain's thyroiditis because it produces conditions of hyperthyroidism in a patient's body followed by hypothyroidism conditions. Silent thyroiditis is most prevalent among women who have just given birth. Certain types of medications have also been implicated as the cause for silent thyroiditis, such as chemotherapy, interferon, and amiodarone. The period of hyperthyroidism that occurs in silent thyroiditis typically lasts for up to three months, and the hypothyroidism that follows it can take even longer to resolve.

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