A short history of the thyroid gland.

the period. However, in his book De Glandulis, Hippocrates (460-337 BC) states in relation to the glands: “……when glands of the neck become diseased themselves, they become tubercular and produce struma……”. The term “struma” is still used in some European countries (e.g. Austria, Italy) as the medical designation of goiter. In addition, in the Hippocratic writings of the 4 century BC, we encounter the term choiron which was earlier used by Paul of Aegina (625-590 BC) and most probably signified goiter as well as the word gongroma, which, in 1561, Ambroise Pare declared also to refer to goiter. Littre in 1980 concurred with this conclusion.