High prevalence of side effects after recombinant human thyrotropin-stimulated radioiodine treatment with 30 mCi in patients with multinodular goiter and subclinical/clinical hyperthyroidism.
BACKGROUND
Treatment of multinodular goiters (MNGs) is highly controversial. Radioiodine (RAI) therapy is a nonsurgical alternative for the elderly who decline surgery. Recently, recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) has been used to augment RAI uptake and distribution. In this study, we determined the outcome of 30 mCi RAI preceded by rhTSH (0.1 mg) in euthyroid (EU) and hyperthyroid (subclinical/clinical) patients with large MNGs.


METHODS
This was a prospective cohort study. Forty-two patients (age, 43-80 years) with MNGs were treated with 30 mCi RAI after stimulation with 0.1 mg of rhTSH. Patients were divided into three groups, according to thyroid function: EU (n = 18), subclinically hyperthyroid (SC-H, n = 18), and clinically hyperthyroid (C-H, n = 6). All patients underwent a 90-day low-iodine diet before treatment, and those with clinical hyperthyroidism received methimazole 10 mg daily for 30 days. Serum TSH, free thyroxine (FT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), and thyroglobulin were measured at baseline and at 24, 48, 72, 168 hours, and 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months after therapy. Thyroid volume was assessed by computed tomography at baseline and every 6 months.


RESULTS
Patients had high iodine urinary excretion (308 +/- 108 microg I/L) at baseline. TSH levels at baseline were within the normal range (1.5 +/- 0.7 microU/mL) in the EU group and suppressed (<0.3 microU/mL) in the SC-H and C-H groups. After rhTSH, serum TSH peaked at 24 hours reaching 12.4 +/- 5.85 microU/mL. After RAI administration, patients in both hyperthyroid groups had a higher increase in FT4 and TT3 compared with those in the EU group (p < 0.001). Thyroglobulin levels increased equally in all three groups until day 7. Thyroid volume decreased significantly in all patients. Side effects were more common in the SC-H and C-H groups (31.4% and 60.4%, respectively) compared with EU patients (17.8%). Permanent hypothyroidism was more prevalent in the EU group (50%) compared with the SC-H (11%) and C-H (16.6%) groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with MNG may have subclinical and clinical nonautoimmune iodine-induced hyperthyroidism. Despite a low-iodine diet and therapy with methimazole, hyperthyroid patients have a significantly higher increase in FT4 and TT3 levels after RAI ablation. This can lead to important side effects related mostly to the cardiac system. We strongly advise that patients with SC-H and C-H be adequately treated with methimazole and low-iodine diet aiming to normalize their hyperthyroid condition before rhTSH-stimulated treatment with RAI.
Romão
Rossana
R
Thyroid Unit (LIM-25), Division of Endocrinology, University of São Paulo Medical School , Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Rubio
Ileana G S
IG
Tomimori
Eduardo K
EK
Camargo
Rosalinda Y
RY
Knobel
Meyer
M
Medeiros-Neto
Geraldo
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013972:Thyrotropin