Results of treatment of thyrotoxicosis after postoperative relapse

Ninety patients who had a recurrence of thyrotoxicosis after thyroidectomy have been reviewed. All 10 patients who had a second operation and 18 out of 20 patients treated with a full course of antithyroid drugs relapsed. These results differ greatly from the results of treatment of the first episode of thyrotoxicosis, whether by thyroidectomy or antithyroid drugs. Radioiodine is the treatment of choice in this group of patients, despite the high incidence of hypothyroidism.