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If you are at the stage of diagnosing thyroid disease, there is a high probability that the word euthyroid was used in the doctor’s office. Although it sounds disturbing, it is not a disease at all; on the contrary, it is a medical term for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland in terms of the release of hormones. However, it is found in some diseases, which we say are associated with euthyroidism. Find out what is euthyroidism and what diseases of the thyroid gland occur.
What is euthyroidism?
Euthyroidism is a condition in which the level of hormones secreted by the thyroid in the blood is found. However, it cannot be said that euthyroidism depends only on the condition of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is linked to other organs. An organ of the central nervous system called the hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete thyrotropin (TSH). Thyrotropin, in turn, stimulates the thyroid gland to produce hormones.
These hormones are triiodothyronine (T3 for short) and thyroxine (also called tetraiodothyronine, for short T4). Their levels are regulated by the so-called negative feedback loop – T3 and T4 inhibit the secretion of hormones by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The right level of hormones also helps to regulate the liver, which secretes the enzyme that converts T4 to T3. All this means that euthyroidism is the result of the proper functioning of the system formed by the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland and liver. Euthyroidism is found when a blood test shows that the serum levels of TSH and T4 are normal.
Thyroid hormones regulate the functioning of most tissues and systems in the body. Therefore, euthyroidism is a necessary condition for the proper functioning of the body. The two deviations from euthyroidism are hypothyroidism, or hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism, which is an overactive state of this organ.
Diseases of the thyroid gland with euthyroidism
Unfortunately, euthyroidism does not mean thyroid health yet. Diseases of the euthyroid thyroid gland include those in which there is an abnormality in the physical structure of an organ, and those in which euthyroidism is one of the phases of the disease.
Changes in the structure of the thyroid gland are usually its enlargement. We speak of an abnormality when the volume of the organ exceeds 25 ml in men and 20 ml in women. Such a magnification is called a goiter. Goiters are not yet a disease state, but a symptom of possible diseases. When goiters appear with euthyroidism, we are talking about neutral or non-toxic goiters. The most common changes of this kind are:
- Non-toxic parenchymal goiter – parenchymal goitre is the professional name for the state of enlargement of the thyroid gland while maintaining its correct shape. It can have genetic causes, but is also believed to be caused by iodine deficiency in the body or by autoimmune diseases.
- Nodular goiter non-toxic – with lesions of this type, heterogeneity of the surface of the thyroid gland, on which the nodules are located, is observed. It can be found on ultrasound or simply by touch. Their occurrence may also indicate the occurrence of autoimmune processes or deficiencies, but also inflammation of the thyroid gland or hormonal disorders.
- Thyroid lumps – in a large part of the population there are single nodules on the surface of the thyroid gland. Usually they are simply an inborn feature of this organ’s structure, a thickening of tissue that does not indicate any disease state.
The mere appearance of a goiter is not yet a reason to start treatment. First, after diagnosing changes in the size of the thyroid gland, additional tests should be performed to determine the causes of the changes. It is also worth paying attention to the development of the will over time. Rapidly enlarging nodules on the thyroid gland are a serious signal that may indicate the development of cancer. Therefore, often after the first observation of nodules, a biopsy is ordered to make an appropriate diagnosis as early as possible.
Non-toxic goiters are treated only when they cause pressure on neighboring organs such as the larynx, trachea or esophagus. Treatment with substances with a goiter-reducing effect, such as radioiodine, for example, can then be used. In special cases, that is, when goitre seriously impedes breathing, doctors perform surgical intervention to remove them.
There are also inflammatory diseases of the thyroid gland characterized by a phased course, in which one of the phases is euthyroidism. A common such condition is subacute thyroiditis, also known as de Quervain’s disease. It is viral and has four phases:
- phase of hyperthyroidism, accompanied by a significant enlargement of the thyroid gland, its tenderness and pain,
- euthyroid phase,
- faza hipotyreozy,
- the phase of gradual return to the normal functioning of the thyroid gland.
Interestingly, there is neither a way nor a need to treat de Quervain’s disease. Its course always ends with the spontaneous recovery of the thyroid gland. Only conservative treatment is used in the form of painkillers administered in the hyperthyroid phase and agents balancing the symptoms of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in the respective phases of the disease.