Is there any risk to treatment of a multinodular goitre with radioactive iodine?
Patients may experience some degree of neck discomfort and swelling in the region of the thyroid gland following radioactive iodine. Furthermore, destruction of thyroid tissue is often associated with transient worsening of the hyperthyroidism for a few weeks, and in elderly subjects with a history of heart disease, this can be a serious issue. There is some evidence that older subjects treated with radioactive iodine may have an increased risk of mortality, but not if the treatment is sufficiently effective so as to induce hypothyroidism Increased cardiovascular and cancer mortality after radioiodine treatment for hyperthyroidism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.
Related Questions
- When does potassium iodide have to be taken in order to prevent uptake of radioactive iodine and reduce the risk of thyroid cancer?
- I am scheduled for an outpatient radioactive iodine treatment. What is the risk of radiation exposure to my family?
- Is there any risk to treatment of a multinodular goitre with radioactive iodine?