Bonnyns M, Vanhaelst L, Bastenie P A
Horm Res. 1982;16(5):338-44. doi: 10.1159/000179522.
Asymptomatic atrophic thyroiditis (AAT), one of the three variants of autoimmune thyroiditis, is characterized by the presence of serum antithyroid antibodies in good correlation with thyroid lymphoplasmocytic infiltrations. AAT affects 5-15% of the general population and is especially prevalent in elderly women. Patients with AAT have no goitre and are clinically euthyroid. While circulating thyroid hormones are always in the normal range, peak TSH and TRH and basal TSH values are increased in two thirds of the cases. There is a familial aggregation of AAT and a frequent association with other autoimmune diseases. Development of overt hypothyroidism in AAT patients is not rare. Preventive thyroid replacement therapy is indicated in patients with elevated basal TSH levels.
无症状性萎缩性甲状腺炎（AAT）是自身免疫性甲状腺炎的三种变体之一，其特征是血清抗甲状腺抗体的存在与甲状腺淋巴细胞浸润密切相关。AAT影响5%至15%的普通人群，在老年女性中尤为普遍。AAT患者无甲状腺肿大，临床甲状腺功能正常。虽然循环甲状腺激素始终在正常范围内，但三分之二的病例中促甲状腺激素（TSH）峰值、促甲状腺激素释放激素（TRH）和基础TSH值升高。AAT存在家族聚集性，且常与其他自身免疫性疾病相关。AAT患者发生明显甲状腺功能减退并不罕见。基础TSH水平升高的患者需要进行预防性甲状腺替代治疗。
