Thyroid Disease (cont.)

Medical Author:

Ruchi Mathur, MD, FRCP(C)

Ruchi Mathur, MD, FRCP(C)

Ruchi Mathur, MD, FRCP(C) is an Attending Physician with the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and Associate Director of Clinical Research, Recruitment and Phenotyping with the Center for Androgen Related Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

View Full Profile

In this Article

• Introduction to thyroid disease
• Thyroid 101: What is the thyroid and what does it do?
• What types of thyroid disease can occur when the function of the thyroid is affected?
• What signs and symptoms can occur if thyroid function is affected?
• What types of thyroid disease can occur when the structure of the thyroid is affected?
• What signs and symptoms can occur if thyroid structure is affected?
• How is the diagnosis of thyroid disease made?
• What is the treatment for thyroid disease?
• What is the outlook for someone with a thyroid disease?
• Thyroid Disease At A Glance
• Thyroid FAQs
• Patient Comments: Thyroid Disease - Describe Your Experience
• Patient Comments: Thyroid Disease - Treatment
• Patient Comments: Thyroid Disease - Symptoms and Signs
• Find a local Endocrinologist in your town
• Thyroid Disease Index

Depending on the specifics of the disease being treated, medications, surgery or radioactive therapy may be used as treatment modalities.

Medications

Medications may be used to treat hyperthyroidism to reduce the production of thyroid hormone, its release from the gland and/or to treat the signs and symptoms that occur in hyperthyroidism such as a rapid heart beat. In hypothyroidism, synthetic thyroid hormone is used to replace the inadequacy of thyroid hormone. Occasionally, in the case of a large goiter, Thyroid hormone replacement may be given in small doses in an attempt to shrink the gland size. It should be mentioned that there are "natural" thyroid compounds available on the market. These vary in their effects and in their dosing and are beyond the scope of this discussion. Steroids and other anti-inflammatory medications, such as NSAIDs, may also be used to reduce inflammation of inflamed thyroid glands.

Surgery

Surgery is the treatment of choice when the thyroid gland is causing compressing the airway resulting in difficulty in breathing or swallowing. In addition, surgery can performed to remove a nodule that is overactive, remove a goiter that is disfiguring, or when cancer is a possibility. Depending on the reason for the surgery, part of a lobe, a whole lobe or the whole thyroid (perhaps with surrounding tissue) may be removed. When the entire thyroid gland is removed, medical replacement with synthetic thyroid replacement is required

Radioactive ablation

When hyperthyroidism is inadequately responding to medications, radioactive ablation may be tried. In contrast to the scans described above, the iodine in this situation is labeled with a tracer that destroys the thyroid tissue. Ablation is used in cases of hyperthyroidism that do not respond to medications, particularly Graves' disease. This form of therapy is also used along with surgery to treat certain forms of thyroid cancer.