ABLATION OF REMAINING FUNCTIONING THYROID LOBE WITH RADIOIODINE AFTERHEMITHYROIDECTOMY FOR CARCINOMA

Nineteen patients who had hemithyroidectomy as a surgical procedure fo r thyroid cancer were given radioiodine to ablate the residual hemithy roid. Two different protocols were used, with either a larger single d ose or multiple smaller doses. Ablation was achieved in 28% with the s ingle large dose approach and in 33% of patients given split doses of similar total amount. This response to the initial attempt at eradicat ion of the residual normal hemithyroid is considerably lower than the accepted ablation rate with comparable doses administered to patients with small thyroid residues after total thyroidectomy. It is suggested that the effect of radioiodine treatment may relate inversely to the size of the thyroid remnant. Our findings also are in support of the s urgical approach advocating total thyroidectomy for patients contempla ting ablation of thyroid residues after surgery for thyroid carcinoma.