Factitious hyperthyroidism

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Thyroid gland

Factitious thyrotoxicosis; thyrotoxicosis factitia; thyrotoxicosis medicamentosa

The symptoms of factitious hyperthyroidism are identical to the symptoms of hyperthyroidism caused by the thyroid gland, with the following exceptions:

• There is no goiter. The thyroid gland is usually small.
• The eyes do not protrude, 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 with Graves' disease.

The following test results may indicate factitious hyperthyroidism:

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

Review Date: 10/25/2006
Reviewed By: Robert Hurd, M.D., Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.