Multiple thyroid cysts may be a cause of hypothyroidism in patients with relatively high iodine intake.

Background: Multiple cysts of the thyroid gland have not been recognized as one of the causes of hypothyroidism. Here we present six patients from a region with relatively high iodine intake in whom multiple cysts of the thyroid were associated with hypothyroidism or the development of hypothyroidism.

Summary: All patients were women and ranged in age from 49 to 71.

Benefit of short-term iodide supplementation to antithyroid drug treatment of thyrotoxicosis due to Graves' disease.

Objective: Combined treatment with anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs) and potassium iodide (KI) has been used only for severe thyrotoxicosis or as a pretreatment before urgent thyroidectomy in patients with Graves' disease. We compared methimazole (MMI) treatment with MMI + KI treatment in terms of rapid normalization of thyroid hormones during the early phase and examined the later induction of disease remission.

Design And Patients: A total of 134 untreated patients with Graves' disease were randomly assigned to one of four regimens: Group 1, MMI 30 mg; Group 2, MMI 30 mg + KI; Group 3, MMI 15 mg and Group 4, MMI 15 mg + KI.

Methimazole-induced agranulocytosis in patients with Graves' disease is more frequent with an initial dose of 30 mg daily than with 15 mg daily.

Background: Antithyroid drugs (ATDs) are prescribed as the initial therapy for the majority of patients with Graves' disease in many areas of the world. Although, it is well known that agranulocytosis is one of the most serious side effects of ATDs, there has not yet been any conclusive evidence that the prevalence of agranulocytosis induced by ATDs is dose related. This study was performed to determine if the prevalence of agranulocytosis is different depending on the starting dosage of ATDs in patients with Graves' disease.

Clinical characteristics of 852 patients with subacute thyroiditis before treatment.

Objective: Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) is a transient inflammatory disease of the thyroid. We evaluated the clinical characteristics based on laboratory and imaging studies in patients with SAT before treatment.

Patients: We reviewed the medical records of 852 patients (107 men and 745 women) with SAT who visited our thyroid clinic at Kuma Hospital from 1996 through 2004.

The prevalence of transient thyrotoxicosis after antithyroid drug therapy in patients with Graves' disease.

Background: Although transient thyrotoxicosis occurring after antithyroid drug (ATD) withdrawal in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism has been reported, the prevalence of transient thyrotoxicosis after ATD therapy is as yet unknown. When patients with transient hyperthyroidism are mistakenly regarded as recurrences, they receive unnecessary therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of transient thyrotoxicosis after ATD withdrawal.

Autoimmune hypophysitis treated with intravenous glucocorticoid therapy.

A 46-year-old man presented with frontal headache, a visual field defect and general fatigue. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed symmetrical enlargement of the pituitary gland and stalk due to the presence of a mass lesion extending toward the optic chiasm. Gadolinium injection further revealed homogeneous strong enhancement with involvement of the adjacent dura (dural tail).