Journal
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
Volume 15, Issue 23, Pages 2834-2838Publisher
BAISHIDENG PUBLISHING GROUP INC
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.15.2834
Keywords
Hypothyroidism; Hyperthyroidism; Gastrointestinal motility; Intestine; Liver; Viscera
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Thyroid hormones define basal metabolism throughout the body, particularly in the intestine and viscera. Gastrointestinal manifestations of dysthyroidism are numerous and involve all portions of the tract. Thyroid hormone action on motility has been widely studied, but more complex pathophysiologic mechanisms have been indicated by some studies although these are not fully understood. Both thyroid hormone excess and deficiency can have similar digestive manifestations, such as diarrhea, although the mechanism is different in each situation. The liver is the most affected organ in both hypo- and hyperthyroidism. Specific digestive diseases may be associated with autoimmune thyroid processes, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Grave's disease. Among them, celiac sprue and primary biliary cirrhosis are the most frequent although a clear common mechanism has never been proven. Overall, thyroid-related digestive manifestations were described decades ago but studies are still needed in order to confirm old concepts or elucidate undiscovered mechanisms. All practitioners must be aware of digestive symptoms due to dysthyroidism in order to avoid misdiagnosis of rare but potentially lethal situations. (C) 2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
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