Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Review article

Long-term management of Graves disease: a narrative review: Hyo-Jeong Kim; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2023;40(1):12-22. Published online November 4, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2022.00444

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Graves disease (GD) is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, accounting for more than 90% of cases in Korea. Patients with GD are treated with any of the following: antithyroid drugs (ATDs), radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy, or thyroidectomy. Most patients begin treatment with ATDs, and clinical guidelines suggest that the appropriate treatment period is 12 to 18 months. While RAI treatment and surgery manage thyrotoxicosis by destroying or removing thyroid tissue, ATDs control thyrotoxicosis by inhibiting thyroid hormone synthesis and preserving the thyroid gland. Although ATDs efficiently control thyrotoxicosis symptoms, they do not correct the main etiology of GD; therefore, frequent relapses can follow. Recently, a large amount of data has been collected on long-term ATDs for GD, and low-dose methimazole (MMZ) is expected to be a good option for remission. For the long-term management of recurrent GD, it is important to induce remission by evaluating the patient’s drug response, stopping ATDs at an appropriate time, and actively switching to surgery or RAI therapy, if indicated. Continuing drug treatment for an extended time is now encouraged in patients with a high possibility of remission with low-dose MMZ. It is also important to pay attention to the quality of life of the patients. This review aimed to summarize the appropriate treatment methods and timing of treatment transition in patients who relapsed several times while receiving treatment for GD.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Commentary: Azathioprine as an adjuvant therapy in severe Graves’ disease: a randomized controlled open-label clinical trial
Madhukar Mittal, Azher Rizvi
Frontiers in Endocrinology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Total Thyroidectomy – A Cost-effective Alternative to Anti-Thyroid Drugs in the Management of Grave's Disease
Erivelto Volpi, Leonardo M. Volpi
Clinical Thyroidology.2023; 35(5): 183. CrossRef
Evaluation of the Abbott Alinity i Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Receptor Antibody (TRAb) Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA)
Deborah J. W. Lee, Soon Kieng Phua, Yali Liang, Claire Chen, Tar-Choon Aw
Diagnostics.2023; 13(16): 2707. CrossRef
Mechanisms and Treatment Options for Hyperthyroid-Induced Osteoporosis: A Narrative Review
Robert M Branstetter, Rahib K Islam, Collin A Toups, Amanda N Parra, Zachary Lee, Shahab Ahmadzadeh, Giustino Varrassi, Sahar Shekoohi, Alan D Kaye
Cureus.2023;[Epub] CrossRef

Case Report

Delayed presentation of aggravation of thyrotoxicosis after radioactive iodine therapy at Graves disease.: Ji Hyun Lee, Hyun Jin Na, Jin Woo Park, Cheol Ho Lee, Hyun Jeong Han, Tae Ho Kim, Se Hwa Kim; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2014;31(2):148-151. Published online December 31, 2014; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2014.31.2.148

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Abstract PDF: Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is widely used for the treatment of Graves disease. After RAI therapy, 44% become hypothyroid and up to 28% remain hyperthyroid. The development of thyrotoxicosis after RAI therapy is believed to be mediated by 2 different mechanisms: a transient increased release of thyroid hormone due to radiation thyroiditis and the rare development of Graves disease due to the formation of antibodies to the thyroid-associated antigens released from the damaged follicular cells. A 55-year-old woman was hospitalized with severe headache, weight loss, and palpitation. She received a dose of 7 mCi of RAI (I-131) about 6 weeks earlier. Thyroid function test showed 7.98 ng/dL free T4, >8 ng/mL T3, <0.08 microIU/L thyroid stimulating hormone, and high titer thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) (85.8 IU/L). She improved with propylthiouracil, propranolol, and steroid treatment. The TSI, however, was persistently elevated for 11 months.

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