[Graves' disease in childhood]

Abstract

Authors describe clinic and therapeutic results in seven hyperthyroid Graves' disease patients between ages of three and a half an 15 and a half (x: 11.2) years relating their results with those of literature. Most peculiar aspects of these cases were pretibial myxedema in two patients and lack of goiter in one of them. Results include T4 greater than 18.5 mcg/100 ml in five, T3 greater than 645 ng/100 in three and a relationship between T3/T4 greater than or equal to 20 in five. These results have been evaluated as signs of a bad prediction. After a two years treatment with antithyroid drugs remission was obtained in five cases, two of which relapsed again (40%). Authors recommend as initial treatment anti-thyroids drugs in high dosages with an individual lasting period of treatment using specific markers of remission (antibodies directed the receptor for TSH, triiodothyronine suppression test, relationship okt4/okt8).