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Comparison of radioiodine and antithyroid drugs in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis
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B Heidari   , F Farhangi , M Amiri |
| , beheidari@yahoo.com |
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Abstract: (45574 Views) |
| Introduction: None of the current available long-term therapies for thyrotoxicosis is ideal, and the choice for each patient must be made individually. The purpose of the present study is to compare the two choices of treatment, the radioiodine and antithyroid drug therapy. Materials and Methods: The study population were thyrotoxic patients treated in Shaheed Beheshti Hospital of Babol between April 1997 to May 2000. Diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis was based on the clinical features and assessment of serum TSH, T4 and T3 levels. Patients with thyroiditis and patients non compliant to regular treatment were excluded. Standard antithyroid drug therapy was started for all patients and continued until the occurence of remission, then tapered off and discontinued. Patients unresponsive to at least six months of drug therapy or patients with disease recurrence after, at least, a three month remission period, were treated with 8-15 mci, of radioiodine and continuation of antithyroid therapy until reaching a euthyroid state. All patients were followed during the treatment period and for at least one year after the beginning of remission. Results: 30 patients (20 females, 10 males) with a mean age of 46±11 years and 44 patients (22 females, 22 males) with a mean age of 37±14 were treated by radioiodine and antithyroid drugs. The disease duration in the two age groups was 14±33 and 10.5±15 months respectively (p=NS), and causes of thyrotoxicosis in the two groups were: Graves’ disease in 63% and 79.5%, toxic multinodular goiter in 27% and 11.5% (p<0.05), toxic nodular goiter in 10 and 9% of patients. After a mean follow-up of 19.7±21 months, 60% of patients achieved remission by radiodine and 40% became hypothyroid, whereas 45% of patients achieved remission by antithyroid drugs and 55% remained hyperthyroid for as long as 28±19 months. The duration of antithyroid drug therapy in each group was 3.3±4.8 and 13.3±8.3 months, respectively. No drug reaction or recurrence was observed during the remission period of 17.5±19 and 21±18 months. Conclusion: On a short term basis, the outcome of thyrotoxicosis for remission is similar either by radioiodine or antithyroid drug therapy, but development of hypothyroidism in the former and persistance of hyperthyroid state in the latter, gives radioiodine therapy priority. |
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| Keywords: Thyrotoxicosis, Radioiodine, Antithyroid drugs, Euthyroidism |
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Full-Text [PDF 234 kb]
(10926 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Endocrinology
Received: 2006/11/21 | Published: 2002/03/15
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