title: Long-term maintenance of low-dose antithyroid drugs versus drug withdrawal in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relapse rate of Graves' hyperthyroidism after finishing an antithyroid cicle is high. The objective of this work was to prospectively investigate the relapse rate of Graves' hyperthyroidism (GH) in patients with maintenance of a low dose of antithyroid drug (ATD) therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 1997, all patients with GH consecutively attending the same center who remained euthyroid with low doses of synthetic ATD (carbimazole or methimazole: 2.5-5mg/day) on 2 consecutive follow-up visits (at 10-12 months) were included in this study. Instead of withdrawing ATD, the aim was to continue with this low dose for a 5-year period (group M: 53 patients). From March 1997, data were also collected from patients with GH who were consecutively followed-up and who, meeting the criteria for inclusion in group M, had stopped receiving ATD before the start of the study (March 1997) (group R: 31 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  GH relapse was observed in 12/53 patients in group M (22.64%) and in 24/31 patients in group R (77.42%) (p<0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The GH relapse rate was significantly lower with long-term maintenance of a low dose of ATD than with therapy withdrawal.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición. Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío. Sevilla. España.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morales García
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cayuela
authors.forename: Natividad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: García Hernández
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Losada Viñau
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Mangas Cruz
authors.forename: María Asunción
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martínez Brocca
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navarro González
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pumar López
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Relimpio Astolfi
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soto Moreno
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Villamil Fernández