Goiter medical therapy

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aravind Reddy Kothagadi M.B.B.S[2] Mehrian Jafarizade, M.D [3]

Overview

Pharmacologic medical therapy for goiter involves normalizing thyroid hormone levels and treating the inflammation. Treatment regimen involves Lugol's iodine, antithyroid drugs and β-adrenergic blockers. In some cases, radioactive iodine may be used to treat an overactive thyroid gland.

Medical Therapy

Hypothyroidism:

Hyperthyroidism:

  • The following table summarizes the medical therapy and surgical option for treatment.


Treatment Mechanism Route of administration Advantages Disadvantages Special considerations
Beta-blockers
  • Block β-adrenergic receptors;
  • propranolol may block conversion of T4 to T3
Oral; may be administered

intravenously in acute

cases

Ameliorates sweating, anxiety, tremulousness, palpitations, and tachycardia
  • Does not influence course of disease
  • Use cautiously in patients with asthma, CHF , bradyarrhythmias or Raynaud’s phenomenon
  • Use cardioselective beta-blockers, especially in patients with COPD
  • Use calcium-channel blockers as alternative
Antithyroid drugs (methimazole,

carbimazole, and propylthiouracil)

  • Methimazole, carbimazole, and propylthiouracil block thyroid peroxidase and thyroid hormone synthesis
  • propylthiouracil also blocks conversion of thyroxine to triiodothyronine
Given as either a single, high fixed dose (e.g., 10–30 mg of methimazole or 200–600 mg of propylthiouracil daily)

and adjusted as euthyroidism is achieved or combined with thyroxine to prevent hypothyroidism (“block–replace” regimen)

  • Outpatient therapy
  • Low risk of hypothyroidism
  • No radiation hazard or surgical risk
  • Remission rate 40–50%
  • High recurrence rate
  • Frequent testing required unless block-replacement therapy is used
  • Minor side effects in ≤5% of patients (rash, urticaria, arthralgia, fever, nausea, abnormalities of taste and smell)
Major side effect usually within first 3 mo of therapy
  • Agranulocytosis in <0.2% of patients
  • Hepatotoxicity in ≤0.1%
  • Cholestasis for the thionamides and hepatocellular necrosis for propylthiouracil
  • Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis in ≤0.1% of patients
Radioactive iodine

(iodine-131)

  • Irradiation causes thyroid cell damage and cell death
Oral; activity either fixed (e.g., 15 mCi [555 MBq]) or calculated on the basis of goiter size and uptake and turnover investigations
  • Normally outpatient procedure
  • Definitive therapy
  • Low cost
  • Few side effects
  • Effectively reduces goiter size
  • Potential radiation hazards
  • Adherence to a country’s particular radiation regulations
  • Radiation thyroiditis
  • Decreasing efficacy with increasing goiter size
  • Eventual hypothyroidism in most patients
  • Should not be used in patients with active thyroid ophthalmopathy
  • Contraindicated in women who are pregnant or breast-feeding and for 6 wk after breast-feeding has stopped
Thyroidectomy Most or all thyroid tissue is removed surgically -----
  • Rapid euthyroidism
  • Recurrence extremely rare
  • No radiation hazard,
  • Definitive histologic results
  • Rapid relief of pressure symptoms
  • Most expensive therapy
  • Hypothyroidism is the aim
  • Risks associated with surgery and anesthesiology
  • Minor complications in 1–2% of patients (bleeding, infection, scarring),
  • Major complications in 1–4% (hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal-nerve damage)
  • Does not influence course of Graves’ ophthalmopathy during pregnancy
  • Is best performed during the second trimester

References

  1. Astwood, E. B. (1960). "Treatment of Goiter and Thyroid Nodules with Thyroid". JAMA. 174 (5): 459. doi:10.1001/jama.1960.03030050001001. ISSN 0098-7484.
  2. Sawin CT, Geller A, Hershman JM, Castelli W, Bacharach P (1989). "The aging thyroid. The use of thyroid hormone in older persons". JAMA. 261 (18): 2653–5. PMID 2709545.
  3. Sawin, Clark T. (1989). "The Aging Thyroid". JAMA. 261 (18): 2653. doi:10.1001/jama.1989.03420180077034. ISSN 0098-7484.
  4. Führer D, Bockisch A, Schmid KW (2012). "Euthyroid goiter with and without nodules--diagnosis and treatment". Dtsch Arztebl Int. 109 (29–30): 506–15, quiz 516. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2012.0506. PMC 3441105. PMID 23008749.
  5. Baskin, H. Jack; Cobin, Rhoda H.; Duick, Daniel S.; Gharib, Hossein; Guttler, Richard B.; Kaplan, Michael M.; Segal, Robert L.; Garber, Jeffrey R.; Hamilton, Carlos R.; Handelsman, Yehuda; Hellman, Richard; Kukora, John S.; Levy, Philip; Palumbo, Pasquale J.; Petak, Steven M.; Rettinger, Herbert I.; Rodbard, Helena W.; Service, F. John; Shankar, Talla P.; Stoffer, Sheldon S.; Tourtelot, John B. (2002). "AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGISTS MEDICAL GUIDELINES FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE FOR THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF HYPERTHYROIDISM AND HYPOTHYROIDISM". Endocrine Practice. 8 (6): 457–469. doi:10.4158/1934-2403-8.6.457. ISSN 1530-891X.
  6. Wesche, Maria F. T.; Tiel-v Buul, Monique M. C.; Lips, Paul; Smits, Nico J.; Wiersinga, Wilmar M. (2001). "A Randomized Trial Comparing Levothyroxine with Radioactive Iodine in the Treatment of Sporadic Nontoxic Goiter". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 86 (3): 998–1005. doi:10.1210/jcem.86.3.7244. ISSN 0021-972X.
  7. Bonnema, Steen J.; Bertelsen, Henrik; Mortensen, Jesper; Andersen, Peter B.; Knudsen, Dorthe U.; Bastholt, Lars; Hegedüs, Laszlo (1999). "The Feasibility of High Dose Iodine 131 Treatment as an Alternative to Surgery in Patients with a Very Large Goiter: Effect on Thyroid Function and Size and Pulmonary Function1". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 84 (10): 3636–3641. doi:10.1210/jcem.84.10.6052. ISSN 0021-972X.
  8. Nygaard, Birte; Knudsen, Jens Helmer; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Scient, Annegrete Veje Cand; Mølholm Hansen, Jens Erik (1997). "Thyrotropin Receptor Antibodies and Graves' Disease, a Side-Effect of131I Treatment in Patients with Nontoxic Goiter1". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 82 (9): 2926–2930. doi:10.1210/jcem.82.9.4227. ISSN 0021-972X.
  9. Greer, Monte A.; Astwood, E. B. (1953). "TREATMENT OF SIMPLE GOITER WITH THYROID*". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 13 (11): 1312–1331. doi:10.1210/jcem-13-11-1312. ISSN 0021-972X.
  10. Squatrito, S.; Vigneri, R.; Rybello, F.; Ermans, A. M.; Polley, R. D.; Ingbar, S. H. (1986). "Prevention and Treatment of Endemic Iodine-Deficiency Goiter by Iodination of a Municipal Water Supply*". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 63 (2): 368–375. doi:10.1210/jcem-63-2-368. ISSN 0021-972X.
  11. Hegedüs, Laszlo; Bonnema, Steen J. (2010). "Approach to Management of the Patient with Primary or Secondary Intrathoracic Goiter". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 95 (12): 5155–5162. doi:10.1210/jc.2010-1638. ISSN 0021-972X.
  12. Haines, Samuel F.; Keating, F. Raymond; Power, Marschelle H.; Williams, Marvin M. D.; Kelsey, Mavis P. (1948). "THE USE OF RADIOIODINE IN THE TREATMENT OF EXOPHTHALMIC GOITER*". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 8 (10): 813–825. doi:10.1210/jcem-8-10-813. ISSN 0021-972X.
  13. Reveno, William S. (1948). "PROPYLTHIOURACIL IN THE TREATMENT OF TOXIC GOITER". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 8 (10): 866–874. doi:10.1210/jcem-8-10-866. ISSN 0021-972X.
  14. Brenta, G.; Schnitman, M.; Fretes, O.; Facco, E.; Gurfinkel, M.; Damilano, S.; Pacenza, N.; Blanco, A.; Gonzalez, E.; Pisarev, M. A. (2003). "Comparative Efficacy and Side Effects of the Treatment of Euthyroid Goiter with Levo-Thyroxine or Triiodothyroacetic Acid". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 88 (11): 5287–5292. doi:10.1210/jc.2003-030095. ISSN 0021-972X.

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