[Surgical treatment of Graves' disease (author's transl)]

135 patients with goiter treated for Graves' disease have been followed during 10 years (12) 5 to 1 years (64) 1 to 5 years (59) after surgical treatment. The incidence of hypothyroidism increases with the delay (23 % after 1 year, 32,6 % after 5 years, 37,8 % after 10 years). The incidence of relapses is similar (7,4 % after 1 year, 15,5 % after 5 years, 22,2 % after 10 years). There is no predictive value of clinical and biological data. Only the limits of thyroidectomy and the pathological findings can inform on the post operative evolution : relapses are more frequent after subtotal bilateral thyroidectomy, hypothyroidism is more frequent after one total lobectomy + subtotal lobectomy on the other side and in the case of large lymphocytic infiltration.