[Treatment of hyperthyroidism with antithyroid drugs]

For the last 50 years the therapeutic possibilities in treating hyperthyroidism have comprised not only the reversible method of antithyroidal drugs but also the 2 irreversible methods viz. surgery and application of radioiodine. Of late beta-adrenergic blockers turned out to be an important adjuvant therapy enabling an early reduction in the hyper-sympathicomimetic condition of Graves's disease. Moreover, R-propranolol will in itself inhibit the peripheral conversion of T4 to T3. The selection of the method of choice is difficult to determine in the individual case requiring both endocrinologic knowledge and specific laboratory findings. Thanks to a striking reduction in the use of conventional antithyroid drugs it has also become possible to decrease the side effects markedly. In spite of far reaching investigations no reliable marker could be found in predicting long lasting remission following discontinuation of antithyroidal drugs. Not withstanding the enormous progress achieved in the pathogenesis and innummerable immunologic findings we are still lacking a causal therapy in treating Graves' disease.