Factitious hyperthyroidism

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Thyroid gland

Factitious thyrotoxicosis; thyrotoxicosis factitia; thyrotoxicosis medicamentosa

The symptoms of factitious hyperthyroidism are the same as those of hyperthyroidism caused by the thyroid gland, with these exceptions:

• There is no goiter. The thyroid gland is usually small.
• The eyes do not bulge, as they do in Graves disease (the most common type of hyperthyroidism).
• The skin over the shins does not thicken, as it occasionally does with people who have Graves disease.

The following test results may indicate factitious hyperthyroidism:

• High levels of free T4
• High levels of total T3
• High levels of total T4
• Low radioactive iodine uptake
• Low levels of thyroglobulin
• Low levels of TSH

Review Date: 04/19/2010
Reviewed By: Ari S. Eckman, MD, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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