A retrospective cohort study: do patients with graves' disease need to be euthyroid prior to surgery?

BACKGROUND: The 2016 American Thyroid Association guidelines indicate that patients with Graves' disease who undergo a thyroidectomy should be rendered euthyroid through the use of antithyroid drugs (ATD) prior to surgery to avoid complications such as a thyroid storm. At times, the use of ATDs can have limited efficacy and therefore some patients will inevitably remain biochemically hyperthyroid at the time of surgery. The aim of this study is to assess if hyperthyroid patients undergoing a thyroidectomy are at an increased risk of developing a thyroid storm in comparison to euthyroid patients. Furthermore, this study seeks to establish a correlation between thyroid storm identified by the levels of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) and the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at two Canadian centers, one in Montreal and the other in Nova Scotia. Sixty-seven patients undergoing thyroidectomy for Graves' disease from January 2006 to December 2016 were evaluated. RESULTS: The study comprised 67 participants with a mean age of 46 years (range16-78 years). A total of 78% of patients were on methimazole, 34% on beta-blockers, 27% on potassium iodine solution, 10% on propylthiouracil and 7% on steroids. At the time of surgery 21% were in an overt hyperthyroid state and 33% were in a subclinical hyperthyroid state. The average TSH level of 0.03 mIUL/L (range 0.01-0.23 mIUL/L). Sixteen percent of patients had a TSH level less than 0.01 mIUL/L. The average free T4 level was 29.58 pmol/L (range 11.5-95.2 pmol/L). The average total T3 level was 11.52 nmol/L (range 4.5-29.1 nmol/L) and free T3 level was 6.35 pmol/L (range 6.1-6.6 pmol/L). No patient developed thyroid storm. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, biochemically hyperthyroid patients undergoing thyroidectomy did not develop thyroid storm. Additional studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand the risk of thyroid storm in hyperthyroid patients.

Short-term preoperative octreotide treatment for TSH-secreting pituitary adenoma.

Preoperative control of hyperthyroidism in patients with TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas (TSHoma) may avoid perioperative thyroid storm. Perioperative administration of octreotide may control hyperthyroidism, as well as shrink tumor size. The effects of preoperative octreotide treatment were assessed in a large number of patients with TSHomas. Of 81 patients who underwent surgery for TSHoma at Toranomon Hospital between January 2001 and May 2013, 44 received preoperative short-term octreotide. After excluding one patient because of side effects, 19 received octreotide as a subcutaneous injection, and 24 as a long-acting release (LAR) injection. Median duration between initiation of octreotide treatment and surgery was 33.5 days. Octreotide normalized free T4 in 36 of 43 patients (84%) and shrank tumors in 23 of 38 (61%). Length of octreotide treatment did not differ significantly in patients with and without hormonal normalization (p=0.09) and with and without tumor shrinkage (p=0.84). Serum TSH and free T4 concentrations, duration of treatment, incidence of growth hormone (GH) co-secretion, results of octreotide loading tests, form of administration (subcutaneous injection or LAR), tumor volume, and tumor consistency did not differ significantly in patients with and without hormonal normalization and with and without tumor shrinkage. Short-term preoperative octreotide administration was highly effective for TSHoma shrinkage and normalization of excess hormone concentrations, with tolerable side effects.

A case of severe and recurrent painless thyroiditis requiring thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of severe and recurrent painless thyroiditis requiring thyroidectomy. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: A 47-year-old man who presented with severe thyrotoxicosis was found to have extremely low radioactive iodine uptake, negative TSH receptor antibodies, and normal C-reactive protein; these findings suggested a diagnosis of painless thyroiditis. Due to the severity and recurrence of thyrotoxicosis, surgical resection of the thyroid gland was performed to prevent a thyrotoxic storm. Histological examination revealed typical lymphoid infiltration of the thyroid gland. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that a patient with painless thyroiditis was successfully treated with surgery.

Modern concepts of preoperative preparation of patients with thyroid gland disease.

Preoperative evaluation of patients with thyroid land disease, in any kind of surgery, should include the possibility of difficult intubation caused by thyromegaly, the hormonal status (its disbalance), as well as the screening, and therapy of consequences of thyroid imbalance on specific organ systems, especially cardiovascular. It is necessary to select the adequate anesthetics and other pharmacological agents, according to current hormonal status. It is also necessary to select the adequate medications and other therapeutic measures for prevention and treatment of possible complications in perioperative period, some of which are life-threatening (thyroid storm and mixedema coma).

[Complications due to contrast agent administration: what has been confirmed in prevention?]. / Komplikationen durch die Kontrastmittelgabe: Was ist gesichert in der Prävention?

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been evaluated by internists to be the most important medical innovations. Often, intravenous contrast agent administration is required for answering the clinical questions to CT and MRI. In this review we present an overview of the most common and most important aspects that need to be considered prior to intravenous contrast agent administration. We discuss aspects of renal impairment (contrast-induced nephropathy, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis), allergy-like reactions, hyperthyroidism, and pregnancy and breast-feeding.

[Perioperative and postoperative management of two patients with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism using short acting beta blocker, landiolol].

Thyroid storm, sudden onset of life-threatening manifestations of hyperthyroidism, often appears during and after surgery in patients with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism. We report perioperative and postoperative management of two such cases with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism. The first patient is a 41-year-old man with a past history of uncontrolled Graves disease, and was scheduled for emergency video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax. The second patient is a 25-year-old man with a past history of hypertension, and was scheduled for open reduction and internal fixation for mandibular fracture. In both patients, tachycardia and hypertension were observed at admission to the operating room. Therapy included the use of landiolol infusion, a short acting beta blocker, for control of tachycardia. Heart rate was controlled around 90 beats x min(-1) using landiolol during surgery. In each case, landiolol was administered until they can take long acting beta blocker and antithyroid drug orally. In the postoperative period, delirium appeared for a few hours in the first case, but no severe complications were observed in each case. Short acting beta blocker was useful for control of tachycardia in the perioperative and postoperative management of the patient with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism.

Is it safe to treat hyperthyroid patients with I-131 without fear of thyroid storm?

OBJECTIVES: Thyroid storm is extremely rare. However, hyperthyroid patients with severe thyrotoxicosis are frequently not treated immediately with I-131 for fear of thyroid storm but are placed on thiouracil drugs for varying periods of time. We demonstrate herein that it is safe to treat these patients with 1-131, without pretreatment with thiouracil drugs, provided they do not have complicating intercurrent disease. Our definition of severe hyperthyroidism includes marked signs and symptoms of thyrotoxicosis, suppressed TSH, markedly elevated free T4 and/or free T3 and elevated radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) (>30%) at 4 or 24 hours. Our diagnostic criteria for thyroid storm include two or more findings of fever (>38 degrees C, 100 degrees F), severe tachycardia, high pulse pressure, agitation with tremors, flushing, sweating, heart failure, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice associated with high free T4 and/or free T3. METHODS: Patients were selected retrospectively for the period between August 2003 and December 2004. One hundred and twenty-two patient visits were identified. These patients were treated with 370-740 MBq (10-20 mCi) of I-131 and were evaluated for any evidence of thyroid storm. Most of the patients were placed on beta blocker drugs at the time of initial I-131 therapy; these were continued for at least two months, when the first follow-up visit occurred. At the time of I-131 therapy, it is our policy to educate the patients to seek immediate medical attention for exacerbation of symptoms of thyrotoxicosis. RESULTS: Not one of these patients developed thyroid storm. A subset of 25% of these cases with higher potential for thyroid storm (RAIU more than 65%, very marked signs and symptoms, and very markedly elevated free T4 and/or free T3) also tolerated the I-131 therapy well with marked clinical improvement and no exacerbation of the thyrotoxic state. CONCLUSION: It is safe to administer I-131 to patients who are severely hyperthyroid without fear of thyroid storm, provided beta blockade drugs are used to control the signs and symptoms; patient education is also important. With these steps, 4-6 weeks of prior medical treatment may not be necessary.

Guía de consenso para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de la enfermedad tiroidea / Guide of consensus for the diagnosis and pursuit of the tiroidea disease Part 1 of 3

Nota del Editor:Medicina & Laboratorio ha recibido autorización de Academia Nacional de Bioquímica Clínca para reproducir, en su totalidad, la ®Guía de Consenso para el Diagnóstico y Seguimiento de la Enfermedad Tiroidea¼, como una excelente herramienta de mejoramiento continuo en el manejo de las pruebas tiroideas, de vital importancia para la región, documento que llegará en tres entregas consecutivas. Demers LM, Spencer CA. Guía de consenso para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de la enfermedad tiroidea. Medicina & Laboratorio 2005; 11: 11-38.

Thyroid storm during pregnancy. A medical emergency.

Thyroid storm is the major risk to pregnant women with thyrotoxicosis. This life-threatening condition is more likely to occur with another precipitating factor such as labor and delivery, surgical delivery, infection, or trauma. Thyroid storm most often occurs in patients with undertreated or undiagnosed hyperthyroidism. As many as 20% to 30% of cases can end in maternal and fetal mortality. Therefore, critical care nurses must be able to recognize and initiate proper medical and nursing interventions promptly.

Perioperative management of the thyrotoxic patient.

Preoperative thyrotoxicosis is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires medical intervention before surgery. Most patients are undergoing thyroidectomy for persistent thyrotoxicosis, usually Graves' disease, either having contraindications to or failing medical therapy. Fewer patients are undergoing nonthyroidal surgery that is likely urgent or emergent. The choice of treatment depends on the time available for preoperative preparation, the severity of the thyrotoxicosis, and the impact of any current or previous therapies. Generally treatment is directed at a combination of targets in the thyroid hormone synthetic, secretory, and peripheral pathway with concurrent treatment to correct any decompensation of normal homeostatic mechanisms. Thionamides are the preferred initial treatment unless contraindicated, but do require several weeks to render a patient euthyroid. beta-Blockers should always be used unless absolutely contraindicated because they improve thyrotoxic symptoms especially of the cardiovascular system. Other agents including iodine and steroids can be used if rapid preparation is required or more severe thyrotoxicosis is present. The goal of therapy is to render the patient as close as possible to clinical and biochemical euthyroidism before surgery. Overall, the morbidity and mortality of adequately prepared patients is low.

Management of patients with thyroid disease: oral health considerations.

BACKGROUND: The thyroid gland and its hormones play an important role in the regulation of growth, development and metabolic functions of the body. Thyroid diseases include a group of conditions that can affect the delivery of dental care. LITERATURE REVIEWED: The authors conducted a MEDLINE search of the medical and dental literature concerning thyroid disease and its management published between 1980 and 2000. The authors found eight published articles concerning this topic in the dental literature; a few of the articles specifically addressed thyroid disease and dental care. They reviewed the medical literature within the scope of provision of dental care. CONCLUSIONS: The oral health care professional can play a role in the screening of dental patients who have undiagnosed thyroid disease. In addition, to treat patients who have thyroid disease, a thorough understanding of the many related pathological conditions, as well as the signs and symptoms that can occur, is needed. Specific dental treatment protocols for these patients are not found in the medicodental literature published between 1980 and 2000. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: As part of a health care team, the dentist plays an important role in detecting thyroid abnormalities. Modifications of dental care must be considered when treating patients who have thyroid disease.

[Cardiac surgery for the patients with hyperthyroidism].

Since open heart surgery may cause thyrotoxic crisis during the perioperative period in patients with hyperthyroidism, close monitoring and control are needed. We performed open heart surgery in 2 patients with hyperthyroidism, and good results were obtained. A 71-year-old patient with mitral valve insufficiency underwent mitral valve repair by replacement of chordae tendineae with polytetrafluoroethylene sutures and annuloplasty with a Duran's Ring. The other 20-year-old patient with aortic valve insufficiency underwent aortic valve replacement with an SJM valve. In the two patients, cardiopulmonary bypass for a prolonged period was required during surgery. However, thyrotoxic crisis could be prevented by controlling thyroid function by preoperative treatment with anti-thyroid agents, concurrent medication with Lugol's iodine solution immediately before surgery and re-administration of anti-thyroid agents early after surgery.

Perioperative management of thyroid disease. Prevention of complications related to hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Patients with underlying thyroid disease who are in need of surgery present a particular challenge to the surgeon responsible for their care and to the medical consultant who must offer clinical guidance. Often, underlying thyroid disease is difficult to detect clinically, because signs and symptoms of disease are varied or subtle. Furthermore, those with known disease who are receiving a seemingly stable medical regimen may still be at risk for associated complications. Only heightened clinical awareness, early and appropriate treatment, and delay of elective surgery results in an improved patient outcome.

[Coronary artery bypass surgery in a patient with Basedow's disease controlled in hypothyroid state].

Coronary artery bypass surgery was performed in 55-year-old male with angina pectoris and Basedow's disease. His thyroid function was controlled in hypothyroid state, in order to avoid thyroid crisis perioperatively. At the start of the extra-corporeal circulation (ECC), values of T4, free-T4, T3 and free-T3 decreased progressively below the lower limits and remained depressed during ECC. The values returned almost to the pre-ECC levels at 2 hours after ECC. However, thereafter a gradual fall was seen up to 3 days after ECC. On the other hand, postoperative concentration of reverse-T3 progressively increased. Perioperative course was uneventful. The patient remains free of angina pectoris with optimal anti-thyroid drug therapy.