An overview of thyroid disorders and their management

Abstract

Disorders of the thyroid gland are frequently encountered in the clinical practice setting and typically fall into one of two categories, namelyhypothyroidism (i.e. deficient levels of circulating thyroid hormone), or hyperthyroidism (or thyrotoxicosis) that involves abnormally highlevels of thyroid hormone in the blood stream. This article provides a high-level overview of thyroid function, the two major pathophysiologicalabnormalities of the thyroid gland, as well as treatment modalities aimed at managing patients with thyroid pathology. In addition, a briefdescription of two major autoimmune conditions of the thyroid gland, namely Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, is also provided.