Lithium as an adjunct to radioiodine therapy for thyrotoxicosis.
16 patients with diffuse thyroid hyperplasia were given lithium carbonate (400 mg daily) for 1 week before and 1 week after a standardised 5 mCi therapy dose of 131I. A comparable control group of 16 patients were treated with 5 mCi of 131I without lithium therapy. The % retention of the therapy dose was measured in all patients at 7 days (168-hour 131I uptake). In the lithium-treated group the 24-hour 131I uptake showed no significant change after the first week of lithium therapy. The mean 48-hour protein-bound 131I, however, fell considerably from 1-21 to 0.55%/dose/1. The mean 24-168 hour % thyroidal 131I uptake drop was significantly less in the lithium group. These results show that low-dosage lithium therapy increases the retention of a standard-therapy dose of 131I. Lithium promises to be a useful adjunct to 131I therapy in patients with a rapid thyroidal iodine turnover and particularly in young patients where the total body-radiation dose must be kept to a minimum.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008094:Lithium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013667:Technetium; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013667:Technetium; D008094:Lithium; D013974:Thyroxine