ABSTRACT
The clinical presentation of an overactive thyroid depends on the severity of the causative disease and the age of the patient. In younger patients thyroid overactivity may announce itself rapidly, with severe symptoms. In the elderly it usually progresses insidiously, perhaps with the development of unexplained cardiac arrhythmias. The frequency and intensity of the effects on many tissues may be influenced by the nature of the underlying disorder. The major causes of an overactive thyroid gland are summarized in Table 1. The vast majority of such patients, however, suffer from either hyperthyroid Graves’ disease or a toxic multinodular goiter.
