Misdiagnosis of Hypothyroidism
Misdiagnosis of Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) was cited by Reader's Digest as one of the top 10 misdiagnosed diseases.
In the article entitled "10 Diseases Doctors Miss", the 10 diseases mentioned were
hepatitis C, lupus, celiac disease, hemochromatosis, aneurysm,
Lyme disease, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS),
chlamydia, and sleep apnea.
1
Alternative diagnoses list for Hypothyroidism:
For a diagnosis of Hypothyroidism,
the following list of conditions
have been mentioned in sources
as possible alternative diagnoses
to consider during the diagnostic process for Hypothyroidism:
Diseases for which Hypothyroidism may be an alternative diagnosis
The other diseases for which Hypothyroidism
is listed as a possible alternative
diagnosis in their lists include:
Hypothyroidism: Hidden Causes Misdiagnosed?
Causes of Hypothyroidism may include these medical conditions:
Rare Types of Hypothyroidism:
Hypothyroidism Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Hypothyroidism: Medical Mistakes
Related medical mistakes may include:
Hypothyroidism: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:
Common Misdiagnoses and Hypothyroidism
Undiagnosed causes of weight gain and obesity: Although obesity may be related to lifestyle issues,
there are also a number of medical causes of weight gain or obesity that may go undiagnosed.
Some of the various possibilities include thyroid disorders (i.e. hypothyroidism), polycystic ovarian syndrome (i.e. PCOS),
and various other causes of weight gain.
Metabolic syndrome with its related diabetes (Type 2 diabetes)
is also a consideration, although possibly less helpful in terms of treatment.
See also misdiagnosis of obesity or causes of weight gain.
Thyroid disorder misdiagnosed as anxiety disorder: The book "A Dose of Sanity" reports on a case
where as woman was diagnosed with panic disorder, and had been taking
a variety of anti-anxiety medications.
She was correctly diagnosed with hypothyroidism, having reduced the dosage
of her medication for this already-diagnosed thyroid condition.
Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of
medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present
in a variety of different severities.
Diseases in this group include multiple sclerosis, lupus, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia,
thyroid disorders (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism),
chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes - all of these can have vague symptoms in their early presentations.
Also, depression can have some symptoms similar to these conditions, and also the reverse,
that many of these conditions can mimic depression and be misdiagnosed as depression.
Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease
is often over-diagnosed.
Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom might be Alzheimer's,
whereas there are many other less severe possibilities.
Some level of memory decline is normal with aging,
and even a slight loss of acuity may be noticed in the 30's and 40's.
Other conditions can also lead a person to show greater forgetfulness.
For example, depression and depressive disorders can cause a person to
have reduced concentration and thereby poorer memory retention.
Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for
a patient to show mental decline to dementia.
Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical conditions,
such as a stroke or Alzheimer's disease,
it can also occur from a side effect or interaction between multiple drugs
that the elderly patient may be taking.
There are also various other possible causes of dementia.
Rare type of breast cancer without a lump: There is a less common form
of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer.
Its symptoms can be an inflammation of the breast tissue, such as with a breast rash
with redness and warmth, but not necessarily a physical breast lump.
This type of breast cancer should be considered as an uncommon possibility
for certain types of breast symptoms.
Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe that
any tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease.
The reality is that there are various possibilities, such as benign essential tremor,
which is mostly harmless.
see the various causes of tremor and misdiagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare genetic
disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's.
The disease Fragile X disorder can show only mild symptoms in the early years,
and Parkinsons-like symptoms around age 50.
See misdiagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Thyroid disorders greatly under-diagnosed: One study found that about 10% of people
had undiagnosed thyroid disorders, mostly hyperthyroidism, but also hypothyroidism.
The symptoms of thyroid disorders are often mild, making the symptoms easy to overlook, or misdiagnose
as another less serious condition.
See symptoms of thyroid disorders or misdiagnosis of thyroid disorders.
Misdiagnosed weight-related causes of infertility: A woman's weight status
can affect her level of fertility.
Although obesity or overweight can in themselves reduce fertility, there are other
weight-related or associated medical conditions that further reduce fertility.
Some of these hidden causes include COPD, diabetes, thyroid disorders (overactive thyroid
or underactive thyroid) and metabolic syndrome.
See also other causes of infertility.
Hypothyroidism: Rare Types
Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:
- Chronic Major Diseases -- Rare Types:
- Women's Reproductive Health -- rare types of diseases:
- Women's General Health: rare types of diseases:
- Senior Health: rare types of diseases:
- Pregnancy: rare types of diseases:
- more rare diseases...»
Failure To Diagnose Hypothyroidism
Failure to diagnose Hypothyroidism may be associated with the following:
- Undiagnosed hypothyroidism can have serious complications and may be the underlying cause of obesity, depression and heart disease
- Hypothyroidism is particularly under-diagnosed in women as their symptoms are often put down to a lack of sleep, need for exercise, stress, depression or premenstrual syndrome. For example, a woman who has had a baby and is unable to lose the baby weight and is exhausted may dismiss her symptoms as being caused by the demands of a new baby. Even if she does seek medical advice, the doctor may come to the same conclusion and not even consider hypothyroidism
- Hypothyroidism often remains undiagnosed because patients present with non-specific symptoms such as constipation. This may lead the doctor to look for a gastrointestinal disorder that could be causing the symptom and thyroid problems are not even considered
- Tiredness and weight gain due to thyroidism in pregnant women is often overlooked as these symptoms are normal for pregnancy
Notes On Hidden Causes Of Hypothyroidism
The following may be hidden causes of Hypothyroidism:
- Medications used to treat hyperthyroidism (e.g. methimazole, propylthiouracil) may actually result in hypothyroidism thus treatment for thyroid disease must be carefully monitored. Lithium is another medication that may be an underlying cause of altered thyroid function. Medications such as amiodarone, SSKI and Lugol's solution which have high iodine content may also cause a reduction in thyroid function
- Severe iodine deficiency is a rare cause of hypothyroidism but it is more common in parts of the world such as Zaire, India, Himalayas and Chile. In rare instances, selenium deficiency may also result in hypothyroidism
- Hypothyroidism may be the underlying cause of neurological symptoms such as depression, psychosis, ataxia, seizures which may lead to misdiagnosis with depression, isolated sleep apnea or other neurological disorders
- Hypothyroidism may be the underlying cause of sleep apnea
- Hypothyroidism may be overlooked as a differential diagnosis in a patient who present with carpal tunnel syndrome or menstrual problems
- Weight gain is a common symptom of hypothyroidism but the increased weight may be put down to poor diet or lack of exercise and it may in fact be used as a scapegoat for any further symptoms that develop. For example weight increase and hypothyroidism may be a cause of sleep apnea, exhaustion, menstrual changes, fertility problems, emotional instability, depression, tiredness and lack of energy
- A recent pregnancy or a family history of the condition may be an underlying cause of hypopituitarism
- Treatments (medication, surgical and radiation) for hyperthyroidism may result in the thyroid gland producing insufficient thyroid hormone and hence hypothyroidism may result. Surgery to correct hyperthyroidism may damage too much of the thyroid and cause hypothyroidism
- Some other less obvious causes of hypothyroidism are HIV infected patients using highly active antiretroviral medication and thyroid damage due to neck radiation for cancer treatment (Hodgkin's lymphoma, laryngeal cancer)
Notes On Wrong Diagnosis Of Hypothyroidism
Wrong diagnosis of Hypothyroidism may be associated with the following:
- Hypothyroidism often co-exists with dementia in elderly patients which makes it less likely to be diagnosed
- The symptoms of hypothyroidism are generally non-specific and may be caused by many other conditions which make diagnosis difficult
- Depression, fatigue and memory problems in middle-aged or older women may be misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, premenstrual syndrome or simply dismissed as due to aging
- Hypothyroidism may be overlooked as a possible cause of metabolic anomalies such as high cholesterol levels and anemia
- Poor growth in infants and children due to congenital hypothyroidism may be misdiagnosed as growth failure
- Menorrhagia due to hypothyroidism is often misdiagnosed as being caused by some gynaecological condition
- Symptoms such as forgetfulness, reduced energy and impaired concentration may be caused by major depression and hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism may also mimic other mental disorders such as psychotic depression, bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia
- Elderly patients may have their loss of concentration due to hypothyroidism misdiagnosed as senile dementia
Medical news summaries about misdiagnosis of Hypothyroidism:
The following medical news items
are relevant to misdiagnosis of Hypothyroidism:
General Misdiagnosis Articles
Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.
About misdiagnosis:
When checking for a misdiagnosis of Hypothyroidism
or confirming a diagnosis of Hypothyroidism,
it is useful to consider what other
medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative
conditions relevant to diagnosis.
These alternate diagnoses of Hypothyroidism may already have
been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible
alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Hypothyroidism.
For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases,
see Overview of Misdiagnosis.
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