title: Compensated 131I-therapy of solitary autonomous thyroid nodules: effect on thyroid size and early hypothyroidism.
abstract: Thyroid function and thyroid gland volume, ultrasonically determined, were investigated in 27 hyperthyroid patients with solitary autonomous thyroid nodules before and during one year after 131I-treatment. Total thyroid volume decreased gradually from 40.9 +/- 3.5 ml (mean +/- SEM) before treatment to 23.9 +/- 1.8 ml (P less than 0.001) at 3 months after 131I-treatment. No further change was observed. All but two patients received only one dose of 131I, and in spite of a significant decrease also of the non-adenoma side of the gland, none became hypothyroid. We conclude that 131I-therapy has an important place in the treatment of solitary autonomous thyroid nodules since all our patients became euthyroid within 3 months, only 2 of 27 patients needed more than one dose of 131I, no cases of hypothyroidism occurred, and thyroid volume was substantially decreased.
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m