Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Claire Wood, Mike Cole, Ruth Wood, Professor John MatthewsORCiD, Professor Simon PearceORCiD, Professor Timothy Cheetham
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Objective: First-line treatment of thyrotoxicosis in young people is thionamide anti-thyroid drug (ATD) in a blocking dose with levothyroxine replacement (block and replace, BR) or in a smaller dose tailored to render the patient euthyroid (dose titration, DT). Our objective was to determine which regimen provides more stable biochemical control. Design: A multi-centre phase III, open-label randomised trial comparing BR with DT in patients aged 2-17 years with newly diagnosed thyrotoxicosis at 15 UK centres. Methods: Patients were randomised shortly after diagnosis and treated for 3 years. The primary outcome was the percentage of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in the reference range between 6 months and 3 years. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of Free thyroxine (FT4) levels in the reference range, adverse event frequency and 4 years outcome (remission/relapse). Results: Eighty-two patients were randomised, with details on clinical course in 81 (62 Female); 40 were allocated to BR (41 DT). Three withdrew with one ineligible. The mean percentage of serum TSH within reference range was 60.2% in BR and 63.8% in DT patients; adjusted difference 4.3%, 95% CI (-7.8 to 16.4); P = 0.48. Proportions for FT4 were 79.2% in BR and 85.7% in DT patients; adjusted difference 6.8%, (-0.2 to 15.6); P = 0.13. Three patients developed neutropenia - all on BR. 6 BR and 10 DT patients were in remission at 4y. Conclusion: This randomised trial has shown no evidence to suggest that BR, when managing the young patient with thyrotoxicosis, is associated with improved biochemical stability when compared to DT.
Author(s): Wood CL, Cole M, Donaldson M, Dunger DB, Wood R, Morrison N, Matthews JNS, Pearce SHS, Cheetham TD
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: European Journal of Endocrinology
Year: 2020
Volume: 183
Issue: 6
Pages: 637-645
Online publication date: 01/12/2020
Acceptance date: 18/09/2020
Date deposited: 16/11/2020
ISSN (print): 0804-4643
ISSN (electronic): 1479-683X
Publisher: BioScientifica Ltd.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-20-0617
DOI: 10.1530/EJE-20-0617
PubMed id: 33107439
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
