LITHIUM-ASSOCIATED TRANSIENT THYROTOXICOSIS IN 4 CHINESE WOMEN WITH AUTOIMMUNE-THYROIDITIS

Four Chinese female patients who suffered from manic-depressive disord er and underlying autoimmune thyroiditis developed transient episodes of thyrotoxicosis during maintenance lithium therapy. Endocrinological ly speaking, three of them had ''Hashitoxicosis'', while the other had silent lymphocytic thyroiditis. Albeit rare among Western patients, s uch lithium-associated thyroid dysfunctions appeared to be more likely to occur in Hong Kong Chinese. They seemed to involve multiple aetiol ogical factors, such as autoimmune thyroid disease, the toxic and immu nomodulatory roles of lithium and perhaps genetic and dietary factors. Because of their self-limiting nature, the importance of avoiding unn ecessary and potentially deleterious antithyroid treatment is emphasis ed.