[Lithium strumas and their psychiatric relevance]

Basing on 172 clinically recorded goitres among 787 patients treated with lithium (21.9%) we studied the question as to whether goitre formation due to lithium has any relevance within the concept of relapse prevention in affective disorders. A statistical comparison of essential disease parameters between the group of patients suffering from struma (goitre) and the total group shows that there is no special type or course of affective disorder with a particular affinity to the development of struma. Likewise, we can conclude from a comparison of treatment course and effectively parameters between both groups that development of struma under influence on the course of treatment or on the efficiency of prophylaxis. The results point to an irrelevance of lithium goitre in respect of psychiatric effects (this does not imply that it is irrelevant in respect of general medical aspects or endocrinology).