Relapse of @entity2743 after successful outcome of antithyroid drug therapy: results of a prospective randomized study on the use of XXXX .

@entity1 @entity2743 @entity1955 @entity1378 @entity5651
Antithyroid drugs are effective in restoring euthyroidism in @entity2743 , but many @entity1 experience relapse after withdrawal. Prevention of recurrence would therefore be a desirable goal. In a prospective study, @entity1 with successful outcome of 12 to 15 months antithyroid drug therapy were stratified for risk factors and randomly assigned to receive @entity1955 in a variable thyrotropin (TSH)-suppressive dose for 2 years or no treatment. The @entity1955 group was randomized to continue or discontinue @entity1955 after 1 year. End points included relapse of @entity1378 . Of 346 @entity1 with @entity2743 enrolled 225 were euthyroid 4 weeks after antithyroid drug withdrawal and were randomly assigned to receive @entity1955 (114 @entity1 ) or no treatment (controls, 111 @entity1 ). Of those not randomized, 39 @entity1 showed early relapse within 4 weeks, 61 endogenous TSH suppression, 7 TSH elevation, and 14 had to be excluded. Dropout rate during the study were 13.3%. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed relapse rates to be similar in the @entity1955 group (20% after 1 year, 32% after 2 years) and the randomized controls (18%, 24%), whereas relapses were significantly more frequent in the follow-up group of @entity1 with endogenously suppressed TSH (33%, 49%). @entity1955 therapy did not influence TSH-receptor antibody, nor did it reduce @entity5651 size. The best prognostic marker available was basal TSH determined 4 weeks after withdrawal of antithyroid drugs (posttreatment TSH). The study demonstrates that @entity1955 does not prevent relapse of @entity1378 after successful restoration of euthyroid function by antithyroid drugs and characterizes posttreatment TSH as a main prognostic marker.
