The Place of Surgery in Thyroidal Autoimmune Conditions

The two most common autoimmune conditions of the thyroid gland, Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Graves' disease (GD) are the frequent causes of inflammation of the thyroid, with major consequences in the function of the organ, which is substantially disturbed in the prolonged disease. Although medical treatment is always the primary and mostly the unique consideration for the treatment of both diseases, there are certain indications that make surgery inevitable and essential to their management.