• Activity Title

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    Graves’ Disease: Diagnostic Complexities and the Laboratory’s Role

     

  • Description

    This educational activity explores the diagnostic complexities of autoimmune hyperthyroidism, particularly Graves’ disease (GD), and highlights the critical role of the clinical laboratory in its detection and confirmation. Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers shares her personal experience with undiagnosed GD during her athletic career, describing symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, muscle pain, and menstrual irregularities, symptoms that were initially overlooked by multiple healthcare providers.

    The case underscores the importance of integrating patient history with laboratory data to avoid diagnostic delays. From a laboratory perspective, the activity emphasizes the significance of thyroid function testing, particularly low serum thyrotropin (TSH), and the confirmatory role of TSH receptor antibodies (TSH-R-Ab) in diagnosing GD. Advances in serological testing and the interpretation of thyroid autoantibodies are discussed, along with the laboratory’s contribution to differential diagnosis and disease monitoring.

    Additionally, the program reviews genetic, environmental, and behavioral risk factors for GD and other autoimmune conditions. Ms. Devers’ story reinforces the importance of patient advocacy and the value of laboratory data in supporting timely and accurate diagnosis.

     

  • Intended Audience

    This activity is intended for professionals in laboratory medicine, including clinical laboratory scientists, medical technologists, pathologists, and other laboratory personnel involved in thyroid function testing, autoimmune serology, and endocrine diagnostics.

  • Learning Objectives

    After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:
    1. Recognize the diagnostic challenges of Graves’ disease and the laboratory’s role in supporting early detection.
    2. Describe key laboratory methodologies for diagnosing Graves’ disease, including thyroid function tests and TSH receptor antibody assays.
    3. Identify risk factors that may contribute to delayed or missed diagnosis of Graves’ disease and understand how laboratory data can aid in risk assessment and clinical decision-making.

    Instruction Level: Beginner

  • Faculty

    George J. Kahaly, MD, PhD
    Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology / Metabolism
    Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Medical Center
    Mainz, Germany

    Shannon K. Idzik, DNP
    Professor, Organizational Systems and Adult Health
    Associate Dean for the DNP Program
    University of Maryland School of Nursing
    Baltimore, Maryland

    Featured Guest Speaker
    Gail Devers
    Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist
    Graves’ Disease Patient & Patient Advocate

  • Duration

    1.0 hours

  • Release and Expiration Dates

    Release Date: August 15, 2025
    Expiration Date: August 15, 2027

  • Disclosures

    The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization associated with this activity.

  • P.A.C.E.® Accreditation

    QuidelOrtho is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.

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  • Policy on Privacy and Confidentiality

    QuidelOrtho Corporation protects the privacy of personal and other information regarding participants, educational partners, and joint sponsors. QuidelOrtho Corporation and our joint sponsors will not release personally identifiable information to a third party without the individual's consent, except such information as is required for reporting purposes to the appropriate accrediting agency.

    QuidelOrtho Corporation and its educational partners maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with recognized accreditation regulations to guard your non-public personal information.

  • Medium Used

    This program has been made available online.

  • Commercial Support Statement

    This activity is provided by the QuidelOrtho Corporation.

  • System Requirements

    To view this educational activity, you will need a modern web browser with JavaScript and HTML5. Cookies enabled allows users to proceed through all elements. Some users encounter issues with hand held devices ie. smart phones. In these cases, we recommend the use of computers.

  • Copyright

    Copyright© QuidelOrtho Corporation.

  • Web interface provided by Dane Garvin Ltd.

     

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