ACUTE EXACERBATION OF MASKED HYPERTHYROIDISM AFTER IODINE RESTRICTIONFOLLOWED BY THYROTOXIC ATRIAL-FIBRILLATION AND CEREBRAL EMBOLISM - A CASE-REPORT

The authors present a seventy-two-year-old woman complaining of diffus e and firm goiter. At the first visit, she looked almost euthyroid wit h regular pulse rate of 78 per minute. After iodine restriction, howev er, she became severely thyrotoxic and developed cerebral embolism ass ociated with atrial fibrillation due to Graves' hyperthyroidism. In co nclusion, sudden withdrawal of dietary iodine might lead to exacerbati on of Graves' hyperthyroidism resulting in serious cardiovascular or c erebrovascular complications, especially in elderly patients.