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Endocrine Journal 2010, 57 (9), 803-809
Original
Short term effects of levothyroxine treatment in thyroid multinodular disease Roberto Cesareo1), Mario Iozzino2), Maria Antonietta Isgrò3), Francesca Annunziata3) and Enrico Di Stasio3) 1) 2) 3)
Thyroid Disease Ambulatory and Thyroid Echointervention, Ospedale “S. M. Goretti,” Latina, Italy Institute of Radiology Ospedale“S. M. Goretti,” Latina, Italy Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
Abstract. The levothyroxine suppressive efficacy in benign thyroid nodules treatment is well described in uninodular nontoxic goiter, whereas only few controlled trials enrolled patients with multinodular disease. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the short term effects of levothyroxine treatment in never treated, pre-menopausal women affected by thyroid multinodular disease. Seventy-one pre-menopausal women with thyroid multinodular disease, still presenting normal TSH levels, from Latina area were randomly assigned to a levothyroxine treated or control group. Biochemical and ultrasonography evaluations of thyroid were monitored at the enrolment and after 6, 12 and 24 months of treatment. In the levothyroxine treated group, after 1 year of treatment, thyroid and dominant nodule volume and number of nodules >0.5 mL significantly decreased from a median of 12.0 to 9.8 mL (p