Radioactive iodine therapy in Graves' hyperthyroidism

Graves' disease is a common condition encountered in clinical practice. The available modes of therapy for Craves' disease are antithyroid drugs, radi oiodine and surgery. Radioiodine therapy is indicated in patients with near ly all causes of hyperthyroidism and is considered the treatment of choice for most patients with Craves' hyperthyroidism who are beyond the adolescen t years. Pregnancy and breast-feeding are absolute contraindications. Altho ugh there are many ways of calculating the dose of radioiodine, fixed dose regimens are gaining acceptance. Hypothyroidism follows sooner or later in nearly all patients treated with radioiodine. Available evidence suggest th at patients are best treated by a single thyroablative dose, the aim being elimination of hyperthyroidism, with larger doses accomplishing it with mor e certainty, and the inevitable hypothyroidism develops under physician con trol. Radioiodine therapy can lead to exacerbation of infiltrative ophthalm opathy and this can be prevented by the concomitant administration of corti costeroids. Radioiodine therapy for Craves' hyperthyroidism has no adverse effects on the health of the offspring of treated patients. There are no de finitive data that provide evidence for increased rates of thyroid cancer, leukaemia, infertility or neonatal abnormality in patients treated with rad ioiodine. Radioiodine therapy is safe, definitive and cost-effective.