Ord's thyroiditis
Ord's thyroiditis is a common form of thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease where the body's own antibodies fight the cells of the thyroid.
| Ord's disease | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Endocrinology  |
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.
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of Ord's thyroiditis include symptoms of hypothyroidism and atrophy of the thyroid gland.
Pathophysiology
Physiologically, antibodies to thyroid peroxidase and/or thyroglobulin cause gradual destruction of follicles in the thyroid 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, 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.
Treatment
Treatment is as with hypothyroidism, daily thyroxine(T4) and/or triiodothyronine(T3).
Epidemiology
Outside Europe a goitrous form of autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) is more common than Ord's disease.