aetiology

Last reviewed 10/2023

Iodine deficiency remains the main important cause of hypothyroidism worldwide while in the developed countries the main cause is autoimmune thyroiditis (1).

Hypothyroidism may be classified into:

  • primary hypothyroidism where the pathology affect the thyroid gland itself
  • secondary hypothyroidism where the thyroid gland is normal but the production of stimulatory factors is disordered

Reference: