HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS: SURGICAL TREATMENT

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease characterized by production of antibodies such as anti-thyroperoxidase, which leads to destruction of the thyroid gland and a decrease in normal thyroid function. Thyroidectomy is not generally recommended because the dense inflammatory process that surrounds the thyroid gland can make resection more difficult. However, patients with HT are considered for surgery if they experience persistent symptoms after conservative therapy. We hypothesized that patients with HT and significant compressive and other associated symptoms may benefit from thyroidectomy for palliation. We identified 170 patients with HT, who underwent surgical treatment from 1994 to 2014. 133 patients had significant preoperative symp-toms, and served as our sample population. Patients were subjectively evaluated for improvement or relief of symptoms postoperatively. The mean age of the group was 48 ± 11 year and 90% were female. The most frequent preoperative symptom was compression, and >93% of patients experienced relief. The overwhelming majority of HT patients, with significant symptoms, appear to benefit from thyroidectomy. Therefore, HT patients should consider pursing surgery for palliation if they suffer from persistent symptoms after conservative therapy