Epidemiological studies on postpartum thyroid dysfunction and thyroid cancer in Southeastern Netherlands

The studies described in this thesis concentrate OIl epidemiological and pathogenetic aspects of postpartum thyroid dysfunction (PPTD) and related topics, and on epidemiological and treatment aspects of thyroid cancer. The studies were petfonned in the southeastern part of the Netherlands and included prospective studies in a representative cohort of women followed dming pregnancy and in the first postpartum year, and retrospective studies on thyroid cancer based on data derived from the population-based Eindhoven Cancer Registry. In the first chapter a general introduction is given 01