Radioiodine therapy in thyrotoxicosis

Sir, I read with interest the excellent article by Sweatman & Chambers.' However, they did not mention radioiodine therapy which is the agent of choice, especially in the patient described (a 71 year old woman with recurrent thyrotox- icosis). Radioiodine is the only reliable therapy in recurrent thyrotoxicosis and hyperthyroid heart disease.2"3 In a recent review4 it is noted that in Grave's disease and toxic multin- odular goitre the remission rate is only 40-50% after antithyroid drugs, these drugs have little effect in toxic adenoma, and after radioiodine therapy, the risk of malignant disease and genetic abnormalities is not significantly greater in any age group. In our institute, radioiodine therapy has been administered since 1981, 160 patients have been followed up, no malignancy or birth-defect has been found, and only two patients have become hypothyroid.