aetiology

Last reviewed 10/2023

Iodine deficiency remains the main important cause of hypothyroidism worldwide while in the developed countries the main cause is autoimmune thyroiditis (1).

Hypothyroidism may be classified into:

• primary hypothyroidism where the pathology affect the thyroid gland itself
• secondary hypothyroidism where the thyroid gland is normal but the production of stimulatory factors is disordered

Reference:

• (1) Vaidya B, Pearce SH. Management of hypothyroidism in adults. BMJ. 2008;337:a801