Thyroiditis refers to several disorders that cause an inflammation of the thyroid, a gland located in the front of your neck below your Adam's apple. The thyroid makes hormones that control metabolism, the pace of your body's processes. Metabolism includes things like your heart rate and how quickly you burn calories.

There are several types of thyroiditis. Hashimoto's thyroiditis Caused by antibodies that attack the thyroid. Shows symptoms of hypothyroidism. Results in permanent hypothyroidism, which can be treated. Subacute thyroiditis (also called de Quervain's thyroiditis) Possibly caused by a viral infection. Causes pain in the thyroid and symptoms of hyperthyroidism, followed by hypothyroidism. Symptoms improve within a few months. There is a slight chance of permanent hypothyroidism, which can be treated. Silent thyroiditis Shows symptoms of hyperthyroidism, followed by hypothyroidism. Symptoms improve within 12 to 18 months. May result in permanent hypothyroidism. Postpartum thyroiditis Caused by antibodies that attack the thyroid after delivery of a child. Four to 6 months after delivery, symptoms of hyperthyroidism appear, followed by hypothyroidism. Symptoms improve within 12 to 18 months. May result in permanent hypothyroidism. Drug-induced thyroiditis Caused by prescription drugs such as amiodarone, lithium, interferons and cytokines. Shows symptoms of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Symptoms continue as long as the drug is taken. Radiation-induced thyroiditis Follows treatment with radioactive iodine for hyperthyroidism or radiation therapy for certain cancers. Most commonly shows symptoms of hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is usually permanent, but can be treated. Acute thyroiditis (also called suppurative thyroiditis) Caused by bacteria or other infectious organisms. Symptoms include a painful thyroid, generalized illness and occasionally symptoms of mild hypothyroidism. Symptoms improve after treatment of the infectious cause.

Symptoms Since thyroiditis refers to a group of disorders rather than just one disorder, the symptoms vary. Thyroiditis can cause slow, long-term thyroid cell damage and destruction that causes thyroid hormone levels in the blood to fall. If so, the symptoms are like those of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).  Symptoms include the following: Fatigue Unexpected weight gain Constipation Dry skin Depression Muscle aches  Thyroiditis can cause rapid thyroid cell damage and destruction that causes thyroid hormone in the gland to leak out and increase the thyroid hormone levels in your blood. If so, it causes symptoms that are like those of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Symptoms include the following: Weight loss Nervousness, anxiety or irritability Difficulty sleeping Rapid heart rate Fatigue Muscle weakness Tremors (shaking hands or fingers) People who have thyroiditis can sometimes have pain in the thyroid gland (in the front of the neck).

diagnosis : by performing laboratory tests to determine if you have thyroiditis, and, if so, what type of thyroiditis you have. Blood tests measure the amount of thyroid hormone in your blood and can indicate whether your thyroid is releasing too much hormone or too little. Blood tests can also show how much thyroid-stimulating hormone your pituitary gland is producing and what antibodies are present in the body. Your doctor may also do a radioactive iodine uptake test to measure your thyroid's ability to take up iodine, a mineral that is needed to produce thyroid hormone. In some cases, a biopsy may be needed to determine what is attacking the thyroid.

How is thyroiditis treated? Treatment depends on what type of thyroiditis you have and what symptoms you are experiencing. If you have symptoms of hyperthyroidism, your doctor may prescribe a medicine called a beta blocker to lower your heart rate and reduce any tremors you may be experiencing. Since the symptoms of hyperthyroidism may be temporary, your doctor may taper the dose of this medicine as your symptoms improve. If you have symptoms of hypothyroidism, your doctor may prescribe thyroid hormone replacements to restore your body's hormone levels and shift your metabolism back to normal. It can take several tries to get the right dose of synthetic thyroid hormone. In some types of thyroiditis, the symptoms of hypothyroidism will improve over time and your doctor will slowly taper your dose of synthetic thyroid hormone. If you have pain in your thyroid, your doctor may recommend a mild anti-inflammatory medication like aspirin or ibuprofen (one brand name: Motrin) to manage the pain. Occasionally, severe thyroid pain requires treatment with steroid therapy.

Thyroid neoplasm is a neoplasm or tumor of the thyroid. It can be a benign tumor such as thyroid adenoma, or it can be a malignant neoplasm (thyroid cancer), such as papillary, follicular, medullary or anaplastic thyroid cancer. Most patients are 25 to 65 years of age when first diagnosed; women are more affected than men. The estimated number of new cases of thyroid cancer in the United States in 2010 is compared to only 1690 deaths. Of all thyroid nodules discovered, only about 5 percent are cancerous, and under 3 percent of those result in fatalities.

Diagnosis : The first step in diagnosing a thyroid neoplasm is a physical exam of the neck area. If any abnormalities exist, a doctor needs to be consulted. A family doctor may conduct blood tests, an ultrasound, and nuclear scan as steps to a diagnosis. The results from these tests are then read by an endocrinologist who will determine what problems the thyroid has. Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism are two conditions that often arise from an abnormally functioning thyroid gland. These occur when the thyroid is producing too much or too little thyroid hormone respectively. Thyroid nodules is a major presentation of thyroid neoplasms, and is diagnosed by ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (USG/FNA) or frequently by thyroidectomy (surgical removal and subsequent histological examination).FNA is the most cost-effective and accurate method of obtaining a biopsy sample. As thyroid cancer can take up iodine, radioactive iodine is commonly used to treat thyroid carcinomas, followed by TSH suppression by high-dose thyroxine therapy. Nodules are of particular concern when they are found in those under the age of 20. The presentation of benign nodules at this age is less likely, and thus the potential for malignancy is far greater.

Prognosis : Poor prognosis : 1. anaplastis thyriod cancer (ATC) 2. age (youg age 65 ) 3. male sex but cancer is twuce as common in woman as men 4. history of childhood head or neck irradiation 5. Large nodule size > 4 cm 6. local tumor fixation or invasion into lymphnode&blood metastasis

Classification : Thyroid adenoma is a benign neoplasm of the thyroid. Thyroid nodules are very common and around 80 percent of adults will have at least one by the time they reach 70 years of age. Approximately 90 to 95 percent of all nodules are found to be benign. Thyroid cancers (malignant neoplasms) are mainly papillary, follicular, medullary or anaplastic thyroid cancer. Most patients are 25 to 65 years of age when first diagnosed; women are more affected than men. Nearly 80 percent of thyroid cancer is papillary and about 15 percent is follicular both types grow slowly and can be cured if caught early. Medullary thyroid cancer makes up about 3 percent of this cancer. It grows slowly and can be controlled if caught early. Anaplastic is the most deadly and makes up around 2 percent. This type grows quickly and is hard to control. The classification is determined by looking at the sample of cells under a microscope and by which type of thyroid cell is present.

Treatment : Treatment of a thyroid nodule depends on many things including size of the nodule, age of the patient, the type of thyroid cancer, and whether or not it has spread to other tissues in the body. If the nodule is benign, patients may receive thyroxine therapy to suppress thyroid-stimulating hormone and should be reevaluated in 6 months. However, if the benign nodule is inhibiting the patient's normal functions of life; such as breathing, speaking, or swallowing, the thyroid may need to be removed. Sometimes only part of the thyroid is removed in an attempt to avoid causing hypothyroidism. There's still a risk of hypothyroidism though, as the remaining thyroid tissue may not be able to produce enough hormones in the long-run. If the nodule is malignant or has indeterminate cytologic features, it may require surgery. A thyroidectomy is a medium risk surgery that can result complications if not performed correctly. Problems with the voice, nerve or muscular damage, or bleeding from a lacerated blood vessel are rare but serious complications that may occur. After removing the thyroid, the patient must be supplied with a replacement hormone for the rest of their life. This is commonly a daily oral medication prescribed by their endocrinologist. Radioactive Iodine-131 is used in patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer for ablation of residual thyroid tissue after surgery and for the treatment of thyroid cancer. Patients with medullary, anaplastic, and most Hurthle cell cancers do not benefit from this therapy. External irradiation may be used when the cancer is unresectable, when it recurs after resection, or to relieve pain from bone metastasis.