SIGNIFICANCE OF VALUES OF THYROTROPIN BINDING INHIBITOR IMMUNOGLOBULINS AND APPEARANCE OF INTRATHYROIDAL LYMPHOCYTES AT SUBTOTAL THYROIDECTOMY FOR GRAVES-DISEASE

This study was undertaken to investigate whether thyrotropin binding i nhibitor immunoglobulins (TBII) values at and after subtotal thyroidec tomy correlated with the outcome or the histologic grade applied to th e appearance of intrathyroidal lymphocytes at the time of surgical tre atment. In addition, the main reason for the study was to determine wh ether or not it was possible to predict the outcome after the operatio n by the data obtained. There was no relation between the TBII results and the grade of the appearance of intrathyroidal lymphocytes at the time of operation or the TBII postoperative results (whether positive or negative) and the final outcome. However, it was of interest that p atients with a recurrence of hyperthyroidism had the TBII values of mo re than 50 percent at the time of surgical treatment, and also manifes ted continuously positive TBII values after the operation. They also h ad moderate grades of lymphocytic infiltration and lymph follicle form ation in the surgical specimen. It seemed impossible to predict the ou tcome of each instance in accordance with TBII values and the grade of the appearance of intrathyroidal lymphocytes at the time of the opera tion. However, it might be possible to predict at least the recurrence of hyperthyroidism by the consideration of changes of TBII, values po stoperatively.