EFFECT OF DESICCATED THYROID IN LYMPHOCYTIC (HASHIMOTO'S) THYROIDITIS*

Abstract

A total of 97 patients with nontoxic goiters were treated at the Mayo Clinic with physiologic doses of desiccated thyroid. Of these 97 patients, 36 had histologically proved lymphocytic thyroiditis; 48 were thought to have lymphocytic thyroiditis on the basic of strong clinical and laboratory evidence; 7 had surgically proved adenomatous goiters and 2 others were thought to have this type of goiter; 3 had regenerative hyperplasia after thyroidectomy for Graves'' disease; and 1 had proved colloid goiter. Most of the goiters that were caused by lymphocytic thyroiditis responded to treatment with desiccated thyroid, whereas most of those which were adenomatous did not.