SERIAL OCCURRENCE OF 2 TYPES OF POSTPARTUM THYROID-DISORDERS - USEFULNESS OF TC-99M PERTECHNETATE UPTAKE

A 32-year-old woman with a history of Graves' disease had an episode o f thyrotoxicosis 2.5 months after her first childbirth. Because of low thyroidal uptake of Tc-99m pertechnetate, a diagnosis of postpartum p ainless thyroiditis was made and the patient was observed without medi cation. After the normalization of serum levels of thyroid hormones, a second wave of thyrotoxic symptoms emerged. This time, the Tc-99m upt ake was slightly elevated and the patient was diagnosed to have a rela pse of Graves' disease. This case underscores the previously reported notion that thyroidal uptake was indispensable to distinguish these tw o causes of postpartum thyrotoxicosis.