Thyroid appearance of cells is viewed to determine whether they resemble normal or cancerous cells. There can be many nodules, which is termed a multinodular goitre, and this can sometimes be a toxic multinodular goitre. An enlarged thyroid gland is called a goitre. Goitres are present in some form in about 5% of people, and are the result of a large number of causes, including iodine deficiency, autoimmune disease (both Grave's disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis), infection, inflammation, and infltrative disease such as sarcoidosis and amyloidosis. Sometimes no cause can be found, a state called "simple goitre". Some forms of goitre are
Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency is an inherited disorder that causes lactic acid to accumulate in the blood. High levels of these substances can damage the body's organs and tissues, particularly in the nervous system. Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency is a rare condition, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 250,000 births worldwide. Type A of the disease appears to be much more common in some Algonkian Indian tribes in eastern Canada, while the type B disease is more present in European populations. Mutations in the "PC" gene cause pyruvate carboxylase deficiency. The "PC" gene provides instructions for making an