Amiodarone-Induced Thyrotoxicosis Treatment

Between September 2013 and December 2016, a total of 51 consecutive patients with clinically and functionally confirmed type 2 amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis were treated on the clinical bases of the Sechenov University (University Clinical Hospitals № 1 and 2). Among these 51 patients, we enrolled 39 registered in the hospitals mentioned above. The inclusion criteria were the following: (1) history of amiodarone treatment; (2) a serum concentration of amiodarone at 0.5–2.5 mg/mL; (3) decreased levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), increased concentration of free thyroxine (T4), free triiodothyronine (T3); (4) an decrease of 99mTc-pertechnetate accumulation and thyroid uptake of less than 1% according to scintigraphy. The remaining 12 patients were excluded from the study according to the exclusion criteria: (1) any proven thyroid disease prior to amiodarone treatment; (2) administration of lithium drugs, glucocorticoids, phenytoin, interferon, iron supplements, estrogens, somatostatin analogs; (3) pregnancy and lactation; (4) severe comorbidities; (5) mental disorders affecting patient compliance. Thirty-nine patients receiving amiodarone treatment for at least six months exhibiting no thyroid pathology were included as a control arm.
Participants have provided written informed consent and all experimental methods were in accordance with the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki. This study was approved by the Review Board of the Sechenov University. All procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical principles for medical research.