Abstract
The choice of treatment for Graves' disease in children has been controversial in recent years. 131I has been used in a limited number of children in adolescence with thyrotoxicosis. Our last complete report was published in The New England Journal of Medicine in January, 1975 on 87 cases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of 131I therapy in children. Patients younger than age 19 years treated over the last 28 years with a follow-up of 5 and more years were studied. There were 133 such patients who were treated at the Cleveland Clinic between October 1949 and December 1972. All but 2 were last evaluated within 2 years. The reproductive history of all patients was evaluated. Approximately one-half of the patients were married and had children. 108 of these children were examined. There was no difference in the fertility of patients compared with the normal population and their children were normal. The majority of patients were clinically euthyroid but were so because of taking thyroid replacement. Recurrent goiter was due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. We feel that adequate doses of thyroid hormone replacement should be prescribed for life. In the absence of problems with this therapy, it may be that 1311 will soon be the preferred treatment for children.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schumacher, O., Safa, A. & Michener, W. 18 LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP RESULTS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS TREATED WITH RADIOACTIVE IODINE (1311) FOR HYPERTHYROIDISM. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 366 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00023
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00023