Graves' disease with ophthalmopathy following radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease

The number of patients achieving long-term survival following neck irradiation for Hodgkin's disease and other malignancies is increasing. Paralleling this increase in survivors is the development of late complications of the therapy itself. Eleven patients have previously been reported who developed Graves' ophthalmopathy 18 months to seven years after receiving neck radiotherapy for nonthyroidal malignancies. The seven patients who had HLA typing were all HLA-B8 negative, despite the reported association of the HLA-B8 antigen with Graves' disease. A patient who is HLA-B8 positive who developed Graves' ophthalmopathy and hyperthyroidism nine years after receiving mantle radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease is reported. It is recommended that Graves' disease be included among the thyroid diseases that receive consideration during follow-up of patients who have received mantle radiotherapy.