Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a chronic autoimmune thyroid disease that is usually not cancerous, but can lead to hypothyroidism and affect the health of the body.
The exact pathogenesis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is not clear, but it is believed to be related to autoimmune abnormalities, and iodine intake is also one of the important factors in the development of the disease. Autoantibodies produced by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis destroy the thyroid follicular cells, which is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, but it is usually not cancerous.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis progresses slowly and usually has no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, but enlargement of the thyroid gland and symptoms of hypothyroidism may appear as the disease progresses. Most patients can be relieved with active treatment, and those with hypothyroidism can be treated with levothyroxine as prescribed by the doctor.