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Does The Thyroid Regrow After Its Removal Due To Graves Disease?
Question: If you have Graves Disease, get your thyroid completely removed but then it grows back, do you have Graves disease again? Please do not say it is impossible for it to grow back because it did.
Brief Answer:
Thyroid
Detailed Answer:
Thyroid re-growth has been very well described in published medical literature.
The most likely reason is that whatever little thyroid tissue ('remnant') was intentionally or inadvertently left behind during surgery regrows if there is a stimulus for it.
This occurs in individuals who have a tendency for forming goitres or nodules (lumps) in their thyroid, or in those with a history of Grave's disease.
Now regarding your question as to whether or not you have Graves disease again, you will be benefitted by understanding the following scientific facts:
1 Graves disease is caused by the body's own defence system attacking your thyroid, resulting in thyroid overactivity. This is reflect in the blood in the form of the following blood tests:
TSH : which tends to be low
Free T4: would be high
Total T3: would be high too
TSI (Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin): high levels are noted
None of these tests require fasting and can be done at any time of the day
2 So it is possible for your thyroid to have re-grown even without Graves disease. Because some people are just prone to developing enlargement of their thyroid glands.
3 Whether you have Graves disease or not can be determined by the above mentioned blood tests, and by performing a thorough physical examination particularly to look for a condition called Graves Orbitopathy i.e. Graves disease related Eye problem, which can even occur with normal thyroid blood tests
You will be best served by seeing an endocrinologist in-person who will have the opportunity to examine you
Thyroid
Detailed Answer:
Thyroid re-growth has been very well described in published medical literature.
The most likely reason is that whatever little thyroid tissue ('remnant') was intentionally or inadvertently left behind during surgery regrows if there is a stimulus for it.
This occurs in individuals who have a tendency for forming goitres or nodules (lumps) in their thyroid, or in those with a history of Grave's disease.
Now regarding your question as to whether or not you have Graves disease again, you will be benefitted by understanding the following scientific facts:
1 Graves disease is caused by the body's own defence system attacking your thyroid, resulting in thyroid overactivity. This is reflect in the blood in the form of the following blood tests:
TSH : which tends to be low
Free T4: would be high
Total T3: would be high too
TSI (Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin): high levels are noted
None of these tests require fasting and can be done at any time of the day
2 So it is possible for your thyroid to have re-grown even without Graves disease. Because some people are just prone to developing enlargement of their thyroid glands.
3 Whether you have Graves disease or not can be determined by the above mentioned blood tests, and by performing a thorough physical examination particularly to look for a condition called Graves Orbitopathy i.e. Graves disease related Eye problem, which can even occur with normal thyroid blood tests
You will be best served by seeing an endocrinologist in-person who will have the opportunity to examine you
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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