[Results of thyroid hormone therapy in bland struma]

2,191 patients with bland struma were treated with tri-iodothyronine and a mixed preparation (thyreotom) for at least 2 years. Several clinical criteria were used for judgement. A good result could be obtained in 78.3 to 51.2% depending on the size of the struma (I-III). While in diffuse strumata good results were obtained in 87.8 to 69.0%, in nodular goitres we were successful only in 52.0-32.9%. The therapy may be successful at every age. Since with growing age the nodular goitres prevail, the chances of success become smaller. For the same reason there is a close correlation between age of the goitre and the therapeutic effect. The rate of success continuously decreases with growing age of the goitre. From this results that the therapy in goitre must begin early, before nodular and regressive changes, respectively, render the treatment difficult or render an acceptable result difficult.