Early remission in thyrotoxicosis produced by short courses of treatment

Twenty-eight patients with Graves' disease were treated with short-term antithyroid drug therapy. i.e. treatment was discontinued as soon as they became euthyroid. This was less than 4 months in all patients. Ten patients remained euthyroid, although in two of these, thyrotoxicosis recurred after the patients had been euthyroid for more than 2 months. The other 18 patients relapsed within 12 weeks of stopping therapy, and only two have become euthyroid after a further 12 month period of treatment. All patients who remitted were thyrotoxic for the first time whereas all patients with a past history of thyroid disease relapsed. Positive thyroid microsomal antibody titres were more frequent in patients who remitted, otherwise there were no indicators of a favourable outcome. The remission rate with antithyroid therapy which is only continued until the patient becomes euthyroid is similar to that for treatment lasting 12--18 months. Short-term therapy has the advantage of savings in both patient and clinician time.