[Hashimoto's thyroiditis(chronic thyroiditis), IgG4-related thyroiditis].

Hashimoto's thyroiditis emerges in patients who have genetic preponderance such as SNPs of CTLA-4 and risk factors such as excess intake of iodine, pregnancy or postpartum period, and smoking. Such risk factors also affect the entire clinical course. One of the major outcomes in Hashimoto's thyroiditis appears to be increased in cardio-vascular risks through subclinical hypothyroidism and concomitant metabolic syndrome, but in most cases, treatment with L-T4 has little effects on cardio-vascular benefit or quality of life. The pregnant women also have risks for obstetric complications and postpartum thyroid dysfunction. The women who have anti-TPO antibodies, type 1 diabetes, or previous history of post-partum thyroid dysfunction are recommended to be measured their TSH. It is noteworthy that Hashimoto's thyroiditis is sometimes complicated with encephalopathy, papillary carcinoma, or IgG4-related thyroiditis. IgG4-related thyroiditis is partly similar but partly discerned from a variant of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The pathogenetic roles of this variant on autoimmune-based thyroiditis remain unclear.