Relationship between the sonographic appearance of the thyroid and the clinical course and autoimmune activity of Graves' disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between thyroid echogenicity and clinical course/immunologic parameters in Graves' disease.

Methods: Two hundred and six outpatients with Graves' disease (31 men, 175 women; 46 +/- 23 years old) were studied with thyroid sonography and color Doppler sonography. Forty-five patients were treated for active hyperthyroidism, 161 were euthyroid (85 immediately before withdrawal of antithyroid drug at maintenance doses, 76 in stable remission after withdrawal of antithyroid treatment).