Management of patients with diffuse toxic goitre in Ireland, a country with low iodine intake.

The present study was undertaken to examine the response rate of thyrotoxicosis in patients with diffuse toxic goitre to thiouracil drug treatment for 1 year in an Irish population, reported to have a low iodine intake. Evidence exists that a low iodine intake is associated with a high long-term remission rate for drug treatment of diffuse toxic goitre. Seventy-five patients participated with 45% of patients entering into long-term remission which has been maintained for a mean of 52.5 +/- 38.8 months. Fifty-five per cent of patients demonstrated relapse at a mean of 7.4 +/- 10.4 months following the withdrawal of thiouracil treatment. These findings were similar to those reported from countries with abundant iodine intake. The data in the present study confirms the usefulness of drug treatment for diffuse toxic goitre in an Irish population but the reported iodine deficiency does not appear to confer a particular advantage.