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Postpartum Thyroiditis

  • Juan C. GalofréEmail author
  • L. D. Premawardhana
Chapter
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Abstract

Postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) is an autoimmune destructive thyroiditis that occurs in some women during the postpartum period. Its immune perturbations have been partially worked out, but at the present time only TPOAb positivity is a reliable marker of this process. Groups at increased risk of developing PPT are well known. Nevertheless there is no consensus about screening for this disorder, which unfortunately causes considerable morbidity, at a physiologically, emotionally and socially vulnerable time. Nor are there effective strategies to prevent PPT in individuals at high risk. Treatment is empirical and largely symptomatic except in the hypothyroid phase when thyroxine may be required.

Keywords

Postpartum thyroiditis Postpartum Graves’ disease Risk factors Screening 
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Endocrinology and NutritionClínica Universidad de Navarra, University of NavarraPamplonaSpain
  2. 2.IdiSNA (Instituto de Investigación en la Salud de Navarra)PamplonaSpain
  3. 3.Section of Endocrinology, Department of MedicineYYF Hospital, Ystrad Fawr WayCaerphillyUK
  4. 4.Centre for Endocrine and Diabetes Sciences, C2 Link Corridor, University Hospital of WalesCardiffUK

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