Iodine Induced Graves' Disease Why Treat with Iodine?

48 Y/O Female with hypothyroidism was treated with iodine pills and T3 cytomel. While on high dose T3 and iodine, she developed double vision and pop eye on the right. MR= swollen eye muscles=Graves Eye Disease.The patient was hyperthyoid on examination. The thyroid was enlarged, firm, and Ultrasound showed Graves'firestorm blood flow. The iodine was stopped, as was the T3. She was started on beta blocker and a I/123 uptake was planned. No ultrasound was ever done.A real time ultrasound was positive. Several nodules were suspicious for cancer.A Biopsy was done, and it was negative for cancer.The patient was cooled off with beta blocker, and was treated with RAI/131.The eye disease stabilized and then a muscle relocation procedure cured the double vision.
What did we learn?
Always see an endocrinologist or thyroidologist if you are told by your primary MD, you have thyroid disease.
www.thyroidologists.com
www.aace.com
www.thyroid.org

Good luck,
Dr.G.