^131^I Therapy for Hyperthyroidism 2001.4.14

^131^I Therapy for Hyperthyroidism 2001.4.14

Hyperthyroidism is a syndrome caused by excessively high levels of thyroid hormones in the blood, leading to accelerated metabolism and goiter. Some patients also experience exophthalmos. About 90% of cases are caused by Graves’ disease. Traditionally, treatment involved first using antithyroid drugs like methimazole and propylthiouracil to inhibit thyroid hormone synthesis, waiting for the immune response to subside on its own. However, the long-term remission rate of this method is only around 40%, and it carries risks of liver and bone marrow toxicity. In recent years, surgical treatment and radionuclide therapy have been advocated to reduce thyroid hormone secretion. Among them, radionuclide therapy boasts high efficacy, safety, simplicity, affordability, and lack of side effects, making it the preferred treatment for hyperthyroidism today. Specifically, it involves oral administration of ^131^I (internal irradiation). Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush’s wife was cured of hyperthyroidism using ^131^I. ^131^I enters the thyroid tissue, destroys it, reducing the thyroid gland to 50% of its original weight, thereby greatly decreasing thyroid hormone production. The dosage of ^131^I should be calculated based on the weight of the thyroid gland: Thyroid weight = Constant (K) × Area of thyroid plan × Height. Of course, there are other calculation methods, which are matters of nuclear medicine practice.

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