Toxic Adenoma of the Thyroid

Abstract

Toxic adenoma accounted for 9.5 % of a series of 680 thyrotoxic patients. Comparison of the 65 cases of toxic adenoma with the 615 cases of Graves disease revealed that the former group presented a milder clinical picture, without overt toxicity in about 40 % of the cases. The laboratory values also showed a greater overlap with the normal range. The plasma Protein - Bound131I level was more often abnormal than the 131I uptake values. A definite diagnosis of toxic adenoma can be established only by scintigrams of the thyroid gland before and after exogenous TSH administration. Surgery is the treatment of choice, but in selected cases treatment with 131I may be undertaken. Radioisotopic treatment in 26 cases of toxic adenoma had excellent results as far as the thyroid hyperfunction was concerned. However, the large doses of 131I required make same caution necessary.