Effect of short-term lithium carbonate administration in hyperthyroidism, with or without associated ophthalmopathy

The study was carried out on 21 female hyperthyroid patients aged 22-53 years, with or without associated ophthalmopathy, admitted to the Endocrinology ward of the 1st Medical Clinic of the Craiova County Hospital, Romania, between 1983 and 1985. Administration of lithium carbonate was proceeded and followed by radioimmunoassay (RIA) determinations of T3 and T4 and measurement of Achilles' reflex (AR). Two regimens were employed. The first comprised ten patients receiving doses of 500 mg/day lithium carbonate and the second 11 patients who had an associated ophthalmopathy and who received 250 mg/day lithium carbonate and 30 mg/day carbimazole. Lithium administration was discontinued after 4 weeks. The results of the therapy suggest a possible intervention of lithium carbonate in the process of blocking the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones and/or its regulating processes, with concomitant improvement of the clinical status, much more in the patients without ophthalmopathy.