The Use of Radioiodine in the Treatment of Exophthalmic Goiter*

IN 1942 Hamilton and Lawrence (1) and Hertz and Roberts (2) reported on the treatment of hyperthyroidism with radioiodine. The restricted availability of radioiodine and dislocations produced by the war prevented widespread extension of its use, either as a tool for the study of thyroid physiology or as a diagnostic or therapeutic agent. However, in 1946 Hertz and Roberts (3) reported their experiences in the treatment of 29 cases of hyperthyroidism and Chapman and Evans (4) reported their experiences in the treatment of 22 cases of hyperthyroidism. Both groups used, in treatment, a mixture of about 90 per cent I130 (half-life, 12.6 hours) and about 10 per cent I131 (half-life, eight days). Both groups reported that radioiodine was effective in the control of hyperthyroidism. In 1946 the Clinton Laboratories of the Manhattan District, U. S. Engineers, made available for clinical and laboratory use I131 (half-life, eight days) produced in quantity in the uranium chain reacting pile. Many groups to whom raclioiodine had not been available formerly began studies of its use as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent, as well as a tool for studying the function of the thyroid. Rawson and McArthur (5) have published an extensive review of the work done with it through 1946.