[Choice of therapy in unifocal functional autonomy of the thyroid gland with hyperthyroidism]

Abstract

Over the last 20 years, unifocal functionally autonomous nodes (UFA) of the thyroid have accounted for more than one third of all patients with hyperthyroidism in the former iodine-deficient and goiter-endemic region of Bern. This situation calls for a special diagnostic approach, i.e. etiologic diagnosis of any solitary nodule and careful consideration of therapy in contrast to regions with iodine excess where UFA is very rare, such as the USA. Therapy is recommended even where hyperthyroidism is still latent (blocked TRH test, normal TT3 and TT4) and reliably leads to subjective and objective improvement even in oligosymptomatic individuals. The safe and easy radioiodine therapy (RIT) is preferred in elderly patients with associated conditions. Surgical resection is recommended chiefly where malignancy is suspected or RIT is technically inappropriate. Both methods produce prompt eradication of the source of hyperthyroidism. The most frequent complication is hypothyroidism requiring lifelong follow-up.