[Treatment of Basedow-Graves disease in pregnancy]

Thyrostatic treatment of pregnant women with Graves' disease is a special problem. Observation of 46 pregnancies of 35 women suffering from Graves' disease has been summarized. The outcome was successful in 45 cases. Methimazole and propylthiouracil was administered to the patients without thyroxine. Therapy was needed for the two thirds of the mothers. At the end of the second trimester the thyrostatic agent could have been withdrawn in the 77% of the cases. Antithyroid treatment administered in low dose at the time of conception did not affect the outcome. Premature delivery rate and the number of neonates with low weight did not increased. Transient hyperthyrotropinaemia was observed in one case. Likewise, one infant suffered from neonatal thyrotoxicosis. 37% of the mothers had postpartal recurrence of hyperthyroidism.

the free thyroxin level monitoring is essential during thyrostatic treatment. Thyrotropin receptor antibody investigation, having predictive value for neonatal thyrotoxicosis, should be done, too. Postpartal thyroid control is necessary for elucidate a hyperthyroid relapse, the rate of which was almost 40%.