Failure of Thyroxine Therapy for Graves Disease

Letters1 April 1996Failure of Thyroxine Therapy for Graves DiseaseAli Rizvi, MD and Lawrence M. Crapo, MD, PhDAli Rizvi, MDSanta Clara Valley Medical Center; San Jose, CA 95128Search for more papers by this author and Lawrence M. Crapo, MD, PhDSanta Clara Valley Medical Center; San Jose, CA 95128Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-124-7-199604010-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:More than 4 years ago, Hashizume and colleagues [1] reported a new medical treatment for Graves disease that was associated with an astonishingly low relapse rate. In this study, 60 hyperthyroid patients were rendered euthyroid with methimazole and then treated for 1 year with both methimazole, 10 mg/d, and thyroxine, 100 µg/d, followed by thyroxine alone for 3 more years. Only 1 of these 60 patients (1.7%) became hyperthyroid during the 4-year study period, compared with 17 of 49 patients (34.7%) in a control group receiving placebo instead of thyroxine. To explain this dramatic result, the researchers ...References1. Hashizume K, Ichikawa K, Sakurai A, Suzuki S, Takeda T, Kobayashi M, et al. Administration of thyroxine in treated Graves' disease—effects on the level of antibodies to thyroid-stimulating hormone receptors and on the risk of recurrence of hyperthyroidism. N Engl J Med. 1991; 324:947-53. Google Scholar2. Hashizume K, Ichikawa K, Nishii Y, Kobayashi M, Sakurai A, Miyamoto T, et al. Effect of administration of thyroxine on the risk of postpartum recurrence of hyperthyroid Graves' disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1992; 55:108-12. Google Scholar3. Tamai H, Hayaki I, Kawai K, Komaki G, Matsubayashi S, Kuma K, et al. Lack of effect of thyroxine administration on elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody levels in treated Graves' disease patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1995; 80:1481-4. Google Scholar4. Hershman JM. Does thyroxine therapy prevent recurrence of Graves' hyperthyroidism? [Editorial] J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1995; 80:1479-80. Google Scholar5. Zwicker H, Abbott C, Douglas R, Givner M, Lehman L, Reddy S, et al. Effect of methimazole plus thyroxine on serum levels of TSH-receptor antibodies in Graves' disease [Abstract]. 77th Annual Endocrine Society Meeting. 1995; OR11-1:60. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Santa Clara Valley Medical Center; San Jose, CA 95128 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByGraves’ DiseaseAn update on the medical treatment of Graves’ hyperthyroidismGraves’ DiseaseTerapia della tireotossicosiThionamide Drug TherapyBenzodiazepine and Remission of Graves' Disease 1 April 1996Volume 124, Issue 7Page: 694KeywordsAutoimmunityDrugsGeneticsHospitalsHyperthyroidismThyroidThyroxine Issue Published: 1 April 1996 CopyrightCopyright © 1996 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...