Management of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease: a retrospective analysis of 1,000 inpatient cards.

There are three different modalities to treat hyperthyroidism due to Grave's disease: anti-thyroid drugs (ATD), radioiodine and surgery, each of them having its own advantages and disadvantages. The option for one of the three therapeutical approaches has both subjective and objective components. In Europe, a screening on the therapeutical options in Graves' disease was performed at the European Thyroid Association (ETA) initiative, being based on a questionnaire. In the Thyroid Department of the Endocrinology Institute in Bucharest, w analysed the managements of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease on 1,000 cards of hyperthyroid patients admitted there during the last five years. In order to diagnose Graves' disease, in vivo tests radioiodine uptake (RIU) at 2 and 24 hrs, 93.39% scintigram (92.93%), thyroid ultrasonography (15%) and reflexogram (98.06%), were carried out. Out of the in vitro tests, PBI (protein bound iodine) was performed prioritarily, while T4, T3 (variable), TSH (13.91%) were performed according to the economic factors. For the patient with moderate hyperthyroidism, antithyroid therapy was alternative with the radioiodine one (51.61% and 48.35%, respectively). The age of the patient played a major role in the decision to take. The frequency of cases treated with radioiodine was considerably higher in the patients with recurrence and in the elderly. The initial dose of antithyroid treatment was high (50-60 mg), and was reduced according to the thyroid function. The therapy duration was not pre-determined. The ATD treatment was prolonged for a time-interval ranging between 2 and 5 years, depending of the clinical status (age, sex, goiter size, exophthalmic syndrome) and the social conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A retrospective study on the treatment and evolution of Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Although Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) seems to be unanimously considered as an autoimmune disease, its pathogenesis is still unknown. That is why the different therapeutical formulas led to ambiguous results. We think that a critical retrospective analysis on our therapeutical possibilities in GO will help us to become aware of our limits in treating this pathology. Our study performed on 123 patients with GO-stage III-IV who were admitted several times in the Thyroid Department of our Institute between 1975-1991; mean age 42 yrs (42 in men and 43 in women. One hundred and twelve patients presented GO associated with thyroid hyperfunction and 11 patients--with hypo- and euthyroidism. Thyroid status was evaluated through clinical examination and laboratory investigations (radioiodine uptake--RIU, 2h, 24 hrs, Achillean reflexogram--AR, T4, T3--radioimmunoassay-RIA). Three therapeutical formulas which were available to us were used in our subjects with GO: 1) general corticotherapy (C) was given in 77.6% of the cases; initial doses: 60-40 mg prednisone for 3 weeks followed by decreasing doses for 2 months (number of cures according to GO severity); 2) orbital radiotherapy (RT) alone was administered from the very beginning to the subjects in whom general C was not possible (7.4% of the cases); 3) general C associated with orbital RT were applied in the very severe cases of GO stage IV-VI (15% of the cases). The two available formulas acted particularly on oedematous symptoms (53% with C and 55.55% with RT alone). Muscular changes were improved by C in 30.83% and by RT only in 11.11% of the cases. It was noticed a mild positive effect on protrusion under C in only 11.66%, and under RT in 33% of the cases. The less favourable results in the cases under both C and RT can be explained by the fact that these groups included cases with stages IV-VI of GO with severe evolution. In 24% of the patients we noted an aggravation of the GO evolution regardless the therapy administered. The possible pathological relationship between the exophthalmic syndrome (ES) and hyperthyroidism (HT) is also supported by our data. The onset of ES together with HT occurred in 63% of the cases. On the other hand, we can notice that it was a more severe disease evolution when both ES and HT were associated. The treatment of hyperthyroidism led to GO aggravation (following 131I, thyroidectomy and antithyroid agents (ATD) in 43%, 52% and 29% of the cases, respectively).

[Therapeutic considerations on severe leptospirosis]. / Consideratii terapeutice in leptospiroza grava

The present paper reports on the results obtained by intravenous administration of furosemide which shortened the period of oliguria in the course of acute renal insufficiency in leptospirosis. The criteria of administration of heparin for preventing the intravascular disseminated coagulation syndrome in leptospirosis are discussed.

[Diagnostic value of blood fibrinogen in leptospirosis]. / Valoarea diagnostica a fibrinogenemiei în leptospiroza

A study was carried out on the value of the presumptive diagnosis of fibrinogenemia in the uncharacteristic forms of leptospirosis, during the first eight days of the disease, in 42 cases, as compared to that of erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The results of fibrinogenemia determinations were more suggestive of the diagnosis at the beginning of the disease.