[Subtotal thyroidectomy. A treatment to keep in mind in amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis]

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic drug, frequently used in cardiology, which may produce secondary effects on the thyroid function. These effects can range from subtle changes in peripheral hormones without clinical manifestations, to severe forms of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. The evolution of amiodarone-induced-hyperthyroidism can be mild, requiring only the withdrawal of the drug, or very severe, requiring an aggressive therapy with multiple drugs which may in some cases be fatal in spite of this therapy. Recently, the increase in the usage of this drug has produced reports of severe amiodarone-induced-thyrotoxicosis requiring surgery in some cases (subtotal or total thyroidectomy). A case of amiodarone-induced-thyrotoxicosis in its more aggressive form, which required intensive pharmacological treatment ultimately combined with surgery, is presented here.