[Thyrotoxicosis: indications and contraindications for radioiodine treatment]

Treatment of tyrotoxicosis with I131 has been performed successfully for more than 50 years. In the beginning some fears occurred concerning possible oncogenity and gonadal lesions in children. Those restrictions are a history now. Radiotherapy can be used as a method of choice in merely intensified thyrotoxicosis especially with diffused thyroid gland enlargement (with the exception of trachea and oesophagus compression cases), after depletion of other efficient treatment methods, with the lack of patient's consent to operation or to thyrostatic treatment. Gravidity, high possibility of pregnancy (4-12 months after the end of treatment) and breast-feeding time are the obvious contraindications. Though hypothyroidism is inevitable side effect after the therapy (replacement therapy is needed) generally proposed doses of I131 should not be limited to avoid low efficacy of the treatment.