| Radioiodine has been used for around sixty years in | | | | continuously stimulate the thyroid to produce and |
| the treatment of hyperthyroidism but lately, it has | | | | release thyroid hormone despite going beyond normal |
| expanded its arena to the treatment of benign thyroid | | | | levels. In such cases, this particular method may be |
| nodules as well. Surgery is not necessarily required for | | | | used to destroy the hypersecreting cells to bring |
| benign nodules unless they start creating problems for | | | | thyroid hormone concentrations down to normal levels. |
| the patient in eating and breathing, as well as posing a | | | | Outcomes |
| possible cosmetic problem. For a period of time, | | | | The success of using radioiodine in the treatment of |
| levothyroxine was used in the effort to shrink these | | | | nontoxic goiter is affected by several factors. Cystic |
| nodules but lately, the use of radioiodine has been | | | | and fibrotic areas do not take up the iodine as actively |
| gaining renown for being able to reduce benign thyroid | | | | as thyroid cells do and therefore, still remain impervious |
| nodules as well. | | | | to its destructive effects. The decrease in the size is |
| This particular method can either be used to as a | | | | proportional to the dose of radioiodine and inversely |
| first-line treatment for hyperthyroidism or as a | | | | related to the initial size of the goiter. |
| follow-up to antithyroid drugs and thyroid surgery in | | | | Risks |
| patients with Graves’ disease. | | | | Several side effects of using radioiodine in the |
| The Principle Behind It | | | | treatment of benign thyroid nodules include transient |
| The thyroid gland regularly takes up about a fifth of | | | | thyrotoxicosis, as well as thyroid swelling and |
| the total iodine ingested before the rest is disposed of | | | | tenderness. More or less, one percent of patients |
| in the urine via the kidneys. Normally, this iodine is taken | | | | receiving this form of treatment develop Graves’ |
| up and goes through several processes such as | | | | disease, probably as a result of the release of thyroid |
| oxidation and binding to tyrosine residues until they | | | | autoantigens and other immunogenic effects by |
| form several molecules of thyroid hormone. | | | | radioiodine on thyroid autoreactive lymphocytes. |
| Now, if the iodine taken up by the thyroid gland | | | | One of the greatest causes for worry in the use of |
| happens to be radioactive, this will kill the thyroid cells | | | | radioiodine to treat benign thyroid nodules is the |
| that have taken it in. This is how radioiodine is used | | | | development of extrathyroidal cancers. Although this |
| against hyperactive thyroid glands or patients with | | | | particular risk is increased only in hyperthyroid cases, it |
| Graves’ disease. Graves’ disease is a condition | | | | provides a compelling reason to search for alternatives |
| wherein the body produces antibodies that | | | | that use a lower degree of activity. |