TOXICITY OF THE ANTITHYROID DRUG CARBIMAZOLE

Abstract

The toxicity of carbimazole is compared with that of methyl thiouracil in a series comprising 181 thyro-toxic patients treated with the former and 461 with the latter. Serious side-effects occurred in 2.3% of patients treated with methyl thiouracil and 1.1% of those treated with carbimazole. A case of pure red cell anemia occurring during treatment is described. Carbimazole is considered the more satisfactory preoperative drug because it causes less congestion. A minor disadvantage is that its effects are more transient; in con-sequence it should be continued until a week before thyroidectomy.