Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2015) 37 EP953 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.37.EP953

ECE2015 Eposter Presentations Thyroid (non-cancer) (160 abstracts)

Safety and efficacy of rapid thyroid blockade with Lugol's iodine in the pre-surgical management of Graves' thyrotoxicosis

Azmi Mohammed , W Elsaify , Rasha Mukhtar & Sath Nag


The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK.


Introduction: A significant number of patients are intolerant of anti-thyroid drugs (ATD) and thyroidectomy remains the only treatment option available to patients who decline radioiodine as definitive therapy. As patients with poorly controlled thyrotoxicosis are at risk of developing thyroid storm, optimal pre-operative control of hyperthyroidism is essential. Rapid thyroid blockade (RTB) with the contrast agents sodium ipodate and iopanoic acid were attractive treatment options but these agents are no longer available for routine use.

Aims: To explore the safety and efficacy of rapid thyroid blockade with Lugol’s iodine in the pre-surgical management of Graves’ thyrotoxicosis.

Method: Lugol’s iodine (0.2 ml three times a day) was administered to six patients with Graves’ thyrotoxicosis who were resistant to treatment with the conventional ATD, carbimazole, and propylthiouracil. Treatment was started 10 days prior to planned thyroid surgery. TSH at baseline and subsequent fT4 and fT3 were measured at fixed intervals prior to thyroidectomy.

Results: All patients were female; mean (S.D.) pre-treatment fT4 and fT3 levels were 30.1 pmol/l (8.12) and 8.8 pmol/l (5.9) respectively. Mean nadir fT4 and fT3 levels after treatment were 16.2 and 4.4 pmol/l respectively. Mean percentage fT4 reduction was 45.2% and mean percentage fT3 reduction was 40.4%. fT4 and fT3 dropped at an average rate of 7.6 pmol/l per day. Mean absolute reductions in fT4 and fT3 levels were13.9 and 4.4 pmol/l respectively. All patients were biochemically euthyroid preoperatively. The mean time to normalise fT4 was 3.8 days (S.D. 1.72). On patient experienced transient adverse effects with Lugol’s iodine.

Conclusion: In this pilot study, Lugol’s iodine was effective in rendering patients biochemically euthyroid prior to planned thyroidectomy. The long-term safety and efficacy of crash thyroid blockade with Lugol’s iodine needs to be assessed in a larger cohort of patients.

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