Hypothyroidism causes
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Hypothyroidism Main page |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Causes
There are several distinct causes for chronic hypothyroidism.
Common Causes
Historically and, still, in many developing countries iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism world-wide. In present day developed countries, however, hypothyroidism is mostly caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, or by a lack of the thyroid gland or a deficiency of hormones from either the hypothalamus or the pituitary.
Less Common Causes
- Hypothyroidism can result from postpartum thyroiditis, a condition that affects about 5% of all women within a year after giving birth. The first phase is typically hyperthyroidism. Then, the thyroid either returns to normal or a woman develops hypothyroidism. Of those women who experience hypothyroidism associated with postpartum thyroiditis, one in five will develop permanent hypothyroidism requiring life-long treatment.
- Hypothyroidism can also result from sporadic inheritance, sometimes autosomal recessive.
- Temporary hypothyroidism can be due to the Wolff-Chaikoff effect.
Causes in Alphabetical Order
- Amyloidosis
- Antithyroid drugs
- Cystinosis
- Dermatosclerosis
- Drugs such as Oxcarbazepine
- Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
- Head and neck surgery
- Hemochromatosis
- Iodine deficiency
- Neoplastic
- Peripheral thyroid gland disorder resistance
- Radiation therapy to head neck or chest area
- Radioactive iodine therapy
- Reidel's Thyroiditis
- Sarcoidosis, granulomatous disease
- Scleroderma
- Secondary hypothyroidism
- Silent thyroiditis
- Subacute thyroiditis
- Subtotal thyroidectomy
- Supprative thyroiditis
- Thyreostatic therapy
- Thyroid agenesis, dysgenesis, ectopy
- TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) deficiency