Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2016) 41 EP1053 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.41.EP1053

ECE2016 Eposter Presentations Thyroid (non-cancer) (120 abstracts)

Can routine steroid cover during radioiodine therapy of patients with Graves’ disease (GD) prevent the onset of de novo Graves’ orbitopathy (GO)?

Aldona Kowalska 1 , Iwona Palyga 1 , Danuta Gasior-Perczak 1 , Estera Mikina 1 , Monika Szymonek 1 , Monika Piwowar 1 , Klaudia Gadawska-Juszczyk 1 , Tomasz Trybek 1 , Ryszard Mezyk 1 & Stanislaw Gozdz 2,


1Endocrinology Department, Holycross Cancer Centre, Kielce, Poland; 2The Faculty of Health Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland; 3Clinical Oncology Department, Holycross Cancer Centre, Kielce, Poland.


Introduction: Radioiodine therapy is considered as a risk factor for the development of Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) de novo or worsening of pre-existing orbitopathy. This risk is estimated in the available literature as up to 15–20%. Steroid cover is considered to eliminated this risk.

Objective: The aim of our study was to established the relationship between the occurrence of GO and treatment with radioiodine. And the analysis of the time of appearance (onset) of OG after radioiodine treatment.

Material and methods: Between the years 2010-2015 in one centre, there were 152 patients treated with moderate or severe GO. Either the coexistence of radioiodine therapy with the onset of GO was analyzed, or the time (in months) of the onset of GO after I-131 therapy. The radioiodine therapy in all the patients (with or without prior GO) was carried out under steroid cover with a fixed dose of 30 mg prednisone for a month, with gradual weekly reduction’s of 5 mg every week for 10 weeks after treatment with I-131.

Results: Fifty-two patients (representing 34%) with moderate or severe GO were previously treated with radioiodine. De novo GO occurred in 49 patients, and 3 patients experienced a worsening of pre-existing OG. The mean time from administration of 131 to onset of GO was 45.5 months (min 2 max 336 months), and a median of 16.5 months.

Conclusions: 1. The routine use of steroid cover does not prevent the development of GO.

2. This risk should be considered when planning treatment with radioiodine for patients with Graves’ disease and the patient should be informed about this risk.

3. OG can occur even several years after treatment with I-131.

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