J Korean Med Assoc.  2012 Dec;55(12):1207-1214. 10.5124/jkma.2012.55.12.1207.

Recent review on medical treatment of thyroid disease

• Park KH
• Lee EJ

• KMID: 2015666
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2012.55.12.1207

Abstract

Thyroid disorder is a common disease. Graves' disease is the most frequent cause of thyrotoxicosis and pharmacological treatment is current trends worldwide. Because of the severe adverse effects of propylthiouracil, methimazole or carbimazole should be selected as the drug of choice except for special situations such as women in the first trimester of pregnancy, thyroid storm, or in patients with severe side effects to methimazole. Treatment should continue for 12 to 18 months, but duration can be adjusted depending on the patient. For hypothyroidism, synthetic levothyroxine is the mainstay of treatment. In order to avoid overtreatment, the dosage of levothyroxine should be determined in consideration of the patient's age, sex, bodyweight, general condition, and comorbidities. In subclinical hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone replacement is suggested in patients with thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations >10 mIU/L. For non-elderly patients with high titers of thyroid autoantibodies, patients with dyslipidemia, pregnant patients, and women with infertility or ovulatory dysfunction, treatment with levothyroxine can be considered.

Keyword

Hyperthyroidism; Antithyroid agents; Hypothyroidism; Thyroxine; Thyroiditis

MeSH Terms

Antithyroid Agents
Autoantibodies
Carbimazole
Comorbidity
Dyslipidemias
Female
Graves Disease
Humans
Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism
Infertility
Methimazole
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Trimester, First
Propylthiouracil
Thyroid Crisis
Thyroid Diseases
Thyroid Gland
Thyroiditis
Thyrotoxicosis
Thyrotropin
Thyroxine
Antithyroid Agents
Autoantibodies
Carbimazole
Methimazole
Propylthiouracil
Thyrotropin
Thyroxine

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