Goiter - Causes - Types Of Goiter

Goitre is a Thyroid Disease.

Goiter

Enlargement of thyroid gland irrespective of its pathology is called goitre. 

The thyroid gland is located in the neck, below Adam's apple (bony prominence in the neck, more prominent in males) and in front of the trachea.
Enlargement of the thyroid gland causes a prominent (or slightly or non-prominent)  bulge in the neck.


There are many causes of a goitre.

Causes of Goiter.

Following conditions lead to enlargement of the thyroid gland and goitre formation.

1. Physiological goitre.

• Puberty onset goitre
• Pregnancy-related goitre.

2. Autoimmune diseases.

• Grave's disease 
• Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

3. Thyroiditis.

• Acute thyroiditis
• Chronic thyroiditis ( Reidel's disease)

4.  Iodine deficiency goitre (also called endemic goitre)

5. Goitrogens (chemicals aiding goitre formation for example sulphonylureas) 

6. Multinodular goitre

7. Diffuse goitre

8. Cysts

9. Tumours

• Adenoma
• Carcinoma
• Lymphoma

10. Sarcoidosis

11. Tuberculosis 

12. Dysmorphogenesis.

Types Of Goiter.

1. Non-Toxic (Simple) Goiter.

• Diffuse hyperplastic goitre
• Colloid goitre
• Multinodular non-toxic goitre
• Solitary non-toxic nodule

2. Toxic Goiter

• Diffuse toxic goitre (Grave's disease)
• Multinodular Toxic Goiter
• Solitary toxic nodule.

3. Neoplastic Goiter

• Enlargement of the thyroid due to benign neoplasm
• Enlargement of the thyroid due to malignant neoplasm

4. Thyroiditis Associated Goiter.

• Granulomatous Thyroiditis associated goitre
• Autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) associated goitre
• Riedel's thyroiditis associated goitre

5. Other Rare Goiters

• Amyloid goitre
• Acute bacterial thyroiditis associated goitre
• Chronic bacterial thyroiditis associated goitre