[Are there prognostic markers of recovery after antithyroid drugs?]

Sustained remission can be observed among 30-50% of the patients long-term treated with antithyroid drugs for Graves' disease. Many parameters have been proposed as predictors of remission of relapse of hyperthyroidism. Initial thyroid volume and its evolution during therapy, T3/T4 ratio, TSH to TRH responsiveness, serum thyroglobulin concentration, and Technetium or Iodine uptake under T3 appeared as the most sensitive indicators of intensity or permanence of thyroid stimulation activity. Few studies only demonstrated a relation between prognosis and HLA B8 or DR3. Those markers predict more accurately the relapse than the remission. Their interest and their management in clinical practice remain still imperfectly determinated.