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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
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Inherited Disorders and Birth Defects |
Thyroid?02/21/2001 |
Is multinodular goiter a genetic happening? My 15 year old son has been diagnosed as having one and I can`t find info. on teen males having this. Could it be inherited?
In regards to genetic causes - as you probably know, a goiter is the enlargement of the thyroid gland. It can be the result of several different causes. The term hyperthyroidism refers to any condition in which there is too much thyroid hormone in the body. If there is a generalized overactivity of the entire thyroid gland it is called diffuse toxic goiter or Graves` disease. If one or more nodules or lumps in the thyroid become overactive, it is called a toxic nodular or multinodular goiter.Diffuse toxic goiter often runs in families. This type of hyperthyroidism, is caused by antibodies in the blood, which stimulate the thyroid to grow and secrete excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. It is not clear why thyroid nodules sometimes become overactive. Somehow one or more nodules gradually increase their activity, so that their total output of thyroid hormone is greater than normal. What the specific genetic cause might be is not known at this time. There is a great deal of research being done to find and understand the specific genes that regulate thyroglobinlin hormones. Mutations or changes in these genes could be inherited and lead to disease. It would depend on the specific diagnosis.
NetWellness lists a couple of websites that may be helpful. The American Thyroid Association which has patient information and The Endocrine Society which has fact sheets on thyroid diseases and a site to locate an endocrinologist near you.
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Anne Matthews, RN, PhD Director, Genetic Counseling and Family Studies Associate Professor Department of Genetics School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University |
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