Aladione (diftalone) in the treatment of subacute thyroiditis.

During 1974 and 1975 thirty patients with subacute thyroiditis referred to us were treated with diftalone (Aladione), a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, at a daily oral dose of 750 mg. The average treatment lasted 39 days (range 15-100), the mean age of the patients was 43-5 years (range: 22-70). The response to this therapy was prompt and excellent, in no patient was it necessary to switch to any other kind of treatment, such as the corticosteroids. The drug was tolerated very well although among our patients there were two diabetics on insulin and two patients with chronic duodenal ulcer. Following our experience in thirty patients we suggest that diftalone can be considered a treatment of choice in patients with subacute thyroiditis. We also think that during its prolonged administration leucocyte counts and transaminase levels should be regularly controlled.