History of disorders of thyroid dysfunction

Abstract

The first description of thyroid diseases as they are known today was that of Graves disease by Caleb Parry in 1786, but the pathogenesis of thyroid disease was not discovered until 1882-86. Thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism was first performed in 1880, and antithyroid drugs and radioiodine therapy were developed in the early 1940s. Thomas Curling first described hyopothyroidism (myxoedema) in 1850 and the cause and suitable treatment were established after 1883. This paper reviews the main landmarks in the history of thyroid disease, supplemented by a brief discussion of the historically relevant scientific aspects of the thyroid gland, and the evolution of endocrinology as a formal discipline.