title: Amiodarone-induced hypothyroidism. A common complication of prolonged therapy: a report of eight cases.
abstract: Amiodarone is a widely used antiarrhythmic drug, which contains 75 mg of iodide per 200 mg of active substance. Eight of our patients receiving long-term amiodarone therapy became hypothyroid. Seven of these patients had no previous history of thyroid dysfunction or goiter. Antithyroid antibodies were absent, and standard perchlorate discharge tests were positive in seven patients when hypothyroidism was diagnosed. In one patient, amiodarone therapy was withdrawn; over the next nine months, the hypothyroidism resolved, and results of the perchlorate discharge test reverted to normal. We conclude that amiodarone-induced hypothyroidism is similar to previously described iodide-induced hypothyroidism. It may develop in the absence of a previous history of thyroid disease, and all patients receiving long-term amiodarone therapy should therefore be regularly monitored for hypothyroidism.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Hawthorne
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Geddes
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Postlethwaite
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Atkinson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007454:Iodides / Q000009:adverse effects; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010472:Perchlorates; D017670:Sodium Compounds; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D007454:Iodides; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D010472:Perchlorates; D017670:Sodium Compounds; C031068:sodium perchlorate; D000638:Amiodarone; D013974:Thyroxine