Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Petros PerrosORCiD
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Hellenic Endocrine Society 2025. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common autoimmune endocrine disease worldwide with an annual incidence of 0.3–1.5 per 1000 people and a prevalence of 8% of the general population. At least nine terms appear in the literature denoting HT, which are used as synonyms or are terms describing disorders closely related to HT. Moreover, the definitions of HT vary, and the role of several parameters in making a diagnosis remains unclear. Furthermore, the term “thyroiditis” is often used among experts to describe the triphasic evolution in thyroid status (thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism, and euthyroidism) that can occur not only after some forms of HT but also in other causes of thyroid inflammation. The present work proposes novel approaches for the nomenclature problems. Firstly, we should abandon the eponym “Hashimoto” in keeping with recent trends. The void left can be replaced by the terms “autoimmune thyroiditis” or “autoimmune thyroid disease”, which are already in use. In communicating among ourselves and with patients, it is imperative and good practice to provide, whenever possible, context to these terms by specifying whether they apply to thyroid status, presence or absence of goiter, thyroid autoantibodies, imaging, cytology/histology, epidemiology, or etiology. Secondly, the considerable potential harm associated with treating euthyroid people with thyroid hormones could be curtailed by avoiding testing for thyroid autoantibodies or performing thyroid imaging in asymptomatic euthyroid patients following the current guidelines and by discouraging the use of the word “disease” when the evidence is based only on results of investigations, such as positive antibodies, or imaging.
Author(s): Khachaturov M, Goulis DG, Perros P
Publication type: Note
Publication status: Published
Journal: Hormones
Year: 2025
Pages: Epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 02/04/2025
Acceptance date: 18/03/2025
ISSN (print): 1109-3099
ISSN (electronic): 2520-8721
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42000-025-00646-2
DOI: 10.1007/s42000-025-00646-2
