Nontoxic Goiter Medication

  • Author: Stephanie L Lee, MD, PhD; Chief Editor: George T Griffing, MD   more...
 
Updated: Sep 14, 2011
 

Medication Summary

No specific treatment for nontoxic goiter exists. Childhood or adult goiter that is established because of iodine deficiency does not shrink after supplementation with iodine. Goiters due to a defect in thyroid hormone synthesis, dyshormonogenesis, are often reduced in size by thyroid hormone therapy. Attempting to shrink nontoxic goiters with T4 has been standard practice, but this therapy has generally fallen out of favor because of the risks of hyperthyroidism, with its detrimental effects on bone and cardiac function.

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Thyroid hormones (L-thyroxine)

Class Summary

T4 has been used to reduce the size or suppress the further growth of goiters.

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Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, Levothroid)

 

Minimal excess doses of T4 suppress thyrotropin (TSH) secretion from the pituitary. TSH is the primary stimulator of thyroid gland growth and thyroid hormone synthesis. For many years, the standard therapy of nontoxic goiter has been suppression of thyroid function by exogenous T4 therapy. This practice has been largely abandoned because of data showing cortical bone loss with chronic excess of thyroid hormone therapy and lack of benefit in suppressing growth of large nodular goiters. Studies have shown that T4 therapy is most effective in decreasing the size of small diffuse goiters in patients with a basal TSH within the reference range.

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Antithyroid agents

Class Summary

Reduce goiter size.

Sodium iodide, or131 I (Iodotope)

 

Ultrasonographic studies have shown a decrease in thyroid volume after131 I therapy in the majority of patients with nontoxic goiter. When administered at a dose of 100 µCi per g of goiter (corrected for percent uptake of131 I at 24 h), thyroid volume decreases an average of 50-60% in 12-18 mo. In most patients, radioactive iodine therapy reduces compressive symptoms. Commonly used in Europe and Latin America but is not standard therapy in the United States unless the patient has contraindication for surgery. Theoretical concerns of radiation-induced swelling and worsening of compressive symptoms have not been supported in European studies. Often, low-iodine diets are recommended for 5 d up to several wk before therapy.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Stephanie L Lee, MD, PhD  Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine; Director of Thyroid Health Center, Associate Chief, Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Boston Medical Center; Fellow, Association of Clinical Endocrinology

Stephanie L Lee, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Endocrinology, American Thyroid Association, and Endocrine Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Sonia Ananthakrishnan, MD  Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Steven R Gambert, MD  Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Director of Geriatric Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center and R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center

Steven R Gambert, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physician Executives, American College of Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, Association of Professors of Medicine, Endocrine Society, and Gerontological Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Kent Wehmeier, MD  Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, St Louis University School of Medicine

Kent Wehmeier, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Hypertension, Endocrine Society, and International Society for Clinical Densitometry

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Mark Cooper, MBBS, PhD, FRACP  Head, Diabetes & Metabolism Division, Baker Heart Research Institute, Professor of Medicine, Monash University

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

George T Griffing, MD  Professor of Medicine, St Louis University School of Medicine

George T Griffing, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Medical Practice Executives, American College of Physician Executives, American College of Physicians, American Diabetes Association, American Federation for Medical Research, American Heart Association, Central Society for Clinical Research, Endocrine Society, International Society for Clinical Densitometry, and Southern Society for Clinical Investigation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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Intrathoracic goiter causing obstruction. This patient has a visible goiter on physical examination. In addition, he has distension of his left external jugular vein, facial erythema (when compared with his shoulder), and cutaneous varicosities of venous blood draining from his head into his chest because of jugular obstruction from his goiter.
Technetium-99m (99mTc) thyroid scan of a large, nontoxic multinodular goiter. Multiple cold and hot nodules are observed in the enlarged thyroid gland. The white arrow indicates sternal notch marker.
Areas of autonomy with excess thyroid hormone secretion in a large nodular goiter. This technetium-99m (99mTc) thyroid scan shows hot and cold nodules in a multinodular goiter. Although the patient's thyroid-stimulating hormone level had become progressively suppressed, it was within the reference range, at 0.4 mU/mL (reference range 0.35-5.5 mU/mL).
Nontoxic goiter of the thyroid gland with tracheal compression. An axial, noncontrast computed tomography scan through the thyroid shows significant tracheal compression.
Relief of tracheal compression after subtotal thyroidectomy of large, obstructive, nontoxic multinodular goiter. (A) Laryngoscopy demonstrating critical tracheal narrowing before thyroidectomy; (B) laryngoscopy showing widened patent trachea after thyroidectomy.
Multinodular goiter. On visual inspection of the neck (image on left), this patient appears to have a goiter. The computed tomography scan (image on right) shows the asymmetrical goiter, measuring 9.3 x 7.4 cm, with tracheal deviation, although no tracheal obstruction is present.
 
 
 
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