[Hormonal suppressive therapy of thyroid nodules]

We studied 426 patients in order to analyse the effectiveness of levothyroxine in treating patients with cold thyroid nodules. Nodule volume ranged initially from 0.1 to 10 mL and was measured over a 3 to 18 month-period of treatment using ultrasonography. Nodule variation was studied in each case according to levels of TSH and others factors (age, sex, familial thyroid history, initial volume of nodule and of thyroid gland, date of diagnosis, ultrasonic findings, duration of treatment). Nodule volume increased in 32.6% and significantly decreased (> 50%) in 35.8%. In 2.8% the nodule disappeared. No correlation was found between variation of thyroid nodules and TSH levels under treatment. Similarly no relationship was found between volume variation and other criteria. These results suggest that TSH suppressing doses of levothyroxine are of no advantage in reducing the volume of cold thyroid nodules compared to lower doses.