The structure of the human thyroid in relation to ageing and focal thyroiditis.

Quantitative studies of non-nodular thyroid glands without focal thyroiditis obtained from consecutive autopsies on women aged over 20 yr showed a decrease in colloid content and an increase in stromal tissues with advancing age. When focal lymphocytic thyroiditis was present these changes were increased. This observation supports the theory that low-grade auto-immune processes can mimic or accelerate the ageing process but does not indicate that they initiate it.