Guidelines for the diagnosis of Graves' disease, hypothyroidism, painless thyroiditis, chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), and subacute thyroiditis (acute phase)

In 2002, the Japan Thyroid Association (JTA) established the Thyroid Disease Diagnostic Guidelines Development Working Group, which developed diagnostic guidelines for five major diseases: Graves' disease, hypothyroidism, painless thyroiditis, chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), and subacute thyroiditis (acute phase). Since then, the guidelines have been repeatedly revised under the leadership of successive JTA Presidents. Meanwhile, several other diagnostic and treatment guidelines have been established by JTA Working Groups on Important Clinical Issues and published elsewhere. Here, with the launch of Thyroid Science, an English-language medical journal published by the JTA, we have decided to republish the original guidelines for the five diseases in this journal. However, because these guidelines were originally formulated as expert opinions, the papers have been updated to include new references supporting each description. Furthermore, definitions of each disease have been provided, and the format has been adapted to match the latest guidelines.