Ord's thyroiditis is a common form of

thyroiditis Thyroiditis is the inflammation of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located on the front of the neck below the laryngeal prominence, and makes hormones that control metabolism. Signs and symptoms There are many different signs and sympto ...

, an autoimmune disease where the body's own antibodies fight the

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery ...

s of the

thyroid The thyroid, or thyroid gland, is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans it is in the neck and consists of two connected lobes. The lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue called the thyroid isthmus. The thy ...

. It is named after the physician, William Miller Ord, who first described it in 1877 and again in 1888. It is more common among women than men. It has historically been separated from

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and Hashimoto's disease, is an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is gradually destroyed. Early on, symptoms may not be noticed. Over time, the thyroid may enlarg ...

which presents with goiters, however some argue they each represent extremes of the same disease and should be classified together as a combined "Ord-Hashimoto’s disease".

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of Ord's thyroiditis include symptoms of hypothyroidism and atrophy of the

gland.

Pathophysiology

Physiologically, antibodies to thyroid peroxidase and/or

thyroglobulin Thyroglobulin (Tg) is a 660 kDa, dimeric glycoprotein produced by the follicular cells of the thyroid and used entirely within the thyroid gland. Tg is secreted and accumulated at hundreds of grams per litre in the extracellular compartment ...

cause gradual destruction of follicles in the

gland. Accordingly, the disease can be detected clinically by looking for these antibodies in the blood. It is also characterised by invasion of the thyroid tissue by

leukocytes White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from mult ...

, chiefly T-lymphocytes. Ord's thyroiditis usually results in hypothyroidism. Transient hyperthyroid states in the acute phase, (a common observation in Hashimoto's thyroiditis), are rare in Ord's disease.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Treatment is as with hypothyroidism, daily

thyroxine File:Thyroid_system.svg, upright=1.5, The thyroid system of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4 rect 376 268 820 433 Thyroid-stimulating hormone rect 411 200 849 266 Thyrotropin-releasing hormone rect 297 168 502 200 Hypothalamus rect 66 216 386 25 ...

(T4) and/or

triiodothyronine Triiodothyronine, also known as T3, is a thyroid hormone. It affects almost every physiological process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate. Production of T3 and its prohormone thyroxine ...

(T3).

Epidemiology

Outside Europe a goitrous form of autoimmune thyroiditis (

) is more common than Ord's disease.

References

* Davies, T. F. (2003), Ord-Hashimoto's Disease: Renaming a Common Disorder - Again. Thyroid 13 (4) 317. . * Williams D. (2003), Hashimoto's and Ord's diseases. Thyroid. 13(12): 1189.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ord's Thyroiditis Autoimmune diseases Thyroid disease de:Ord-Thyreoiditis