How Did Hashimoto's Disease Get Its Name?

Hashimoto hypothyroid disease, or Hashimoto's thyroiditis, is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks thyroid gland. This causes inflammation of the thyroid gland and contributes to a lower production of thyroid hormones. Lower thyroid hormone production is a characteristic of hypothyroidism, which is also called low thyroid or underactive thyroid.

Hashimoto's disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. Approximately one and a half million people in the US have Hashimoto's disease. It strike four times as many women as men. See women and thyroid problems.

Hashimoto's disease is named after Japanese doctor and medical scientist Hakaru Hashimoto (1881-1934). Hashimoto was born on May 5, 1881, in the village of Midau, Nishi-tsuge in the Mie Prefecture. He graduated from Kyushu University medical school in 1907. He also studied in England.

In 1912, he published a paper on thyroiditis, describing it as an independent illness. The paper was later evaluated and recognized by English and American researchers, In American medical books, it was named Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

As World War I was about to break out, he was forced to come back home to Japan. In 1916, he came back to his hometown Igamachi and became the town doctor.
 
Hashimoto fell ill with typhoid fever and died at home on January 9, 1934.

    

 

 

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