[Thyroid function after peritoneal lavage with polivinylpyrrolidone-iodine solution in diffuse peritonitis].

In 36 patients, intraoperative peritoneal lavage with PVP-iodine solution (26 patients) or with the iodine free chemotherapeutic agent Taurolin (10 patients) was performed because of peritonitis. Total iodine serum levels increased considerably after peritoneal lavage with PVP-iodine. In the early postoperative phase, the resorbed iodine was mostly present as iodide in serum. Iodine serum values returned to normal after 30 days. A decrease in T4 and T3 could be observed with a concomitant reciprocal increase of rT3 in the acute phase of peritonitis. Normalization of the thyroid hormone took place after 8 days. A stronger increase in T4 occurred temporarily in 2 of 5 patients known to have thyroid function disorders. These changes in thyroid hormone may also be considered as the consequence of the severe primary disease. Normalization of hormone values was clearly delayed after PVP iodine lavage. The possible risk of an iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis after intraperitoneal application of PVP-iodine is pointed out, and objections are made to using this therapy.