Abstract

CIEZA DIAZ, Deysy; CENTENO CLEMENTE, Carmen  and  PINTO VALDIVIA, Miguel. Clinical characteristics, thyroid function profile and autoimmune markers in patients with Graves’ disease.. Rev Med Hered [online]. 2008, vol.19, n.4, pp.152-157. ISSN 1018-130X.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics, thyroid function profile and autoimmune markers in patients with Graves’ disease (GD) treated at the endocrine service of a general hospital. Material and methods: Descriptive and retrospective study in patients with GD treated at the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia during 2005, identified in the Daily Registry of Attention and Other Activities of the Endocrine Service. For statistical analysis, SPSS software was used. Results: We reviewed 111 medical charts. The mean age was 40.6 ± 14 years. 71.2% were women. Twenty three patients (20.7%) reported familial history of autoinmune disease. The mean time of disease was 18.9 ± 30.4 months before diagnosis. The most frequent symptoms were: tremor, thin skin, palpitations and weight loss. The mean thyroid weight was 69 ± 27.5 grams. In 38.7% exophthalmos was present and 18.9% had myxedema. Hormonal profile showed suppressed TSH, elevated levels of free T4 and total T3. In 86.7% autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) were positive. The initial treatment included thionamides in 95.5% of patients. Further statistical analysis showed that women had more frequent familiar history of autoinmune thyroid disease than men (27.8% vs. 9.4%) (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Most of our patients with GD were women between third and sixth decade of life. The estimated weight of the thyroid gland was three times the normal weight and ophthalmopathy and myxedema were frequent. Most of our patients had positive autoimmune markers and the initial treatment included thionamides. (Rev Med Hered 2008; 19:152-157).

Keywords : Graves’ disease; hyperthyroidism; diffuse goiter; autoimmune thyroid disease.

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