Objective: To analyze outcomes of patients with compressive nontoxic multinodular goiter after 131I-iodine 30 mCi treatment without previous use of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone or methimazole.
Methods: We evaluated fixed-dose radioiodine therapy outcomes in patients with nontoxic multinodular goiter who did not accept thyroidectomy as a therapeutic option. Laboratory thyroid function and thyroid volume estimated by ultrasound were assessed before and one year after radioiodine therapy.
Results: Twenty euthyroid female patients received 30 mCi of 131I-iodine without recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone or methimazole pretreatment. Median thyroid volume and Tc-99m sodium pertechnetate thyroid uptake before radioiodine therapy were 68.05 cm (31.3-295.3) and 0.5% (0.1%-1.2%), respectively. One year after radioiodine therapy, thyroid volume decreased to 55.4 cm (19.8-149.9), and merely 4 patients (20%) developed hypothyroidism. Thyroid volume decreased significantly after radioiodine therapy, presenting a variation of -21.1 cm (-161.3 to -0.8) and -30.61% (-73.88 to -1.02), both with P < 0.0001. Thyroid volume variation was positively correlated with thyroid uptake in Spearman's correlation (r = 0.4730; P = 0.0352). The group satisfied with radioiodine therapy (85%, n = 17) showed a significant reduction in thyroid volume, -25.8 cm (-161.3 to -6.2) and -36.74% (-73.88 to -9.95). The dissatisfied group (15%, n = 3) showed -1.0 cm (-2.0 to -0.8) and -1.67% (-3.38 to -1.02) in thyroid volume, P = 0.0081. Patients that complained about dysphagia presented a lower percentage of thyroid volume decrease after radioiodine therapy, -21.97% (-70.12 to -1.02, P = 0.0430).
Conclusions: A substantial reduction in thyroid volume associated with a low incidence of hypothyroidism and a high satisfaction rate support the use of conventional radioiodine therapy with a fixed dose of 30 mCi. This therapy is an attractive and cheaper therapeutic alternative in selected patients with nontoxic multinodular goiter.