Graves' disease in Saudi Arabia: a ten-year hospital study

To determine clinical manifestation and mode of treatment of Graves' disease at King Khalid University Hospital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A retrospective study of all cases of Graves' disease diagnosed at the hospital in the period between January 1995 and December 2004, who received a minimum of two years treatment were included in the study.

A total of 194 patients were seen with female: male ratio of 2.9:1 and mean age of 32 +/- 0.9 years. Sixty nine percent of the patients had positive thyroid antibodies. Palpitations, tremors, weight loss and nervousness were the most common presenting manifestations. Forty nine percent of patients were treated with radioiodine, 38% with antithyroid drugs, and 13% underwent subtotal thyroidectomy.

Clinical manifestations of Graves' disease in our patients distinctly differed from those reported in the West and Pacific Islanders with notable rarity of pretibial myxoedema and hyperpigmentation respectively. We also noted higher male to female ratio and an increasing utility of radioactive iodine therapy while use of antithyroid drugs and surgery are declining.