ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Clinical Spectrum and Outcome of Patients with Graves’ Disease: A Single-Center Experience from a Tertiary Care Institution in the Kashmir Valley, India
Graves Hastalığı Olan Hastaların Klinik Spektrumu ve Sonuçları: Keşmir Vadisindeki (Hindistan) Üçüncü Basamak Bir Sağlık Kurumunda Tek-Merkezli Deneyim
Received Date : 17 Jun 2020
Accepted Date : 26 Nov 2020
Available Online : 19 Jan 2021
Mohammad Hayat BHAT, Javaid Ahmad BHAT, Shariq Rashid MASOODI,* Waseem QURESHI,**Junaid Rashid DAR,** Moomin Hussain BHAT*
Department of Endocrinology, Superspeciality Hospital, GMC, Srinagar, INDIA
*Department of Endocrinology, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, INDIA
**Department of Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar, INDIA
Doi: 10.25179/tjem.2020-77446 - Makale Dili: EN
Turk J Endocrinol Metab. 2021;25:21-31
ABSTRACT
Objective: Graves’ disease (GD) is a common autoimmune disorder with
variable outcomes. To study the clinical manifestations and treatment outcome
of GD in the post-iodization scenario. Material and Methods: The
present study was designed as a cross-sectional study, in which a total of
180 patients with GD (127 males and 53 females) attending our center
were reviewed retrospectively. The demographic data, modes of treatment,
comorbidities, remission, and recurrence rates were determined for the
patients. All patients were initially treated with anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs),
with the subsequent management depending on the course of the disease.
Results: The mean (±SD) age at diagnosis was 38.30 (10.73) years and
the lag period between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis was 5.12
(2.69) months, with the male patients having a significantly shorter duration
of illness compared to females (4.36 vs. 5.44 months; P=0.015). Majority
of the patients presented with the typical symptoms and signs
associated with hyperthyroidism and/or goiter, although the atypical presentations
were not uncommon. ATDs were the most preferred treatment
modality employed to achieve clinical and biochemical remission. The mean
duration of achieving euthyroidism and the normalization of TSH levels
were 3.31±1.51 and 7.45±3.35 months, respectively. On follow-up at
three months, 46.1% of the patients were euthyroid, with normalization of
the TSH levels in 15.6% of them. Failure to achieve early remission/disease
control was significantly higher in males (p=0.003) and smokers
(p=0.036). Between the 72 patients who completed medical therapy, 49
patients achieved remission, of whom 20 patients relapsed with a firstyear
relapse rate of 20.4%. Disease relapse was significantly associated
with higher initial 99 mTechnetium (99mTc) uptake (p=0.022) and higher
grade of goiter (p=0.026) at presentation. The logistic regression analysis
revealed male gender (p=0.048) and orbitopathy (p=0.036) as the independent
risk factors predicting relapse of the GD. Conclusion: Graves’ disease
manifests with varied clinical manifestations, including the atypical
ones, warranting careful clinical assessment to ensure an accurate diagnosis.
Gender and orbitopathy are the independent risk factors predicting
the relapse of the disease.
Keywords: Anti-thyroid drugs; diffuse toxic goiter; hyperthyroidism; total thyroidectomy; thyrotoxicosis
ÖZET
Amaç: Graves hastalığı (GD), çeşitli sonuçları olan yaygın bir otoimmün
bozukluktur. İyodizasyon sonrasında GD’nin klinik belirtilerinin ve tedavi
sonuçlarının incelenmesi. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu çalışma, merkezimize
başvuran toplam 180 GD'li (127 erkek ve 53 kadın) hastanın retrospektif
olarak incelendiği kesitsel bir çalışma olarak tasarlandı. Hastaların demografik
verileri, tedavi şekilleri, komorbiditeleri, remisyon ve relaps oranları
belirlendi. Tüm hastalar başlangıçta anti-tiroid ilaçlar (ATD'ler) ile tedavi
edildi ve ardından hastalığın seyrine bağlı olarak yönetildi. Bulgular: Tanı
anındaki ortalama (±SS) yaş 38,30 (10,73) idi, semptomların başlangıcı ile
tanı arasındaki gecikme süresi 5,12 (2,69) aydı, erkek hastalar kadınlara
göre anlamlı olarak daha kısa hastalık süresine sahipti (4,36 vs 5,44 ay;
p=0,015). Hastaların çoğunluğu hipertiroidizm ve/veya guatr ile ilişkili tipik
semptom ve bulgularla başvurdu, ancak atipik tablolar da nadir değildi.
ATD'ler, klinik ve biyokimyasal remisyon sağlamak için en çok tercih edilen
tedavi yöntemiydi. Ötiroidizme ulaşılması ve TSH düzeylerinin normalleşmesi
için geçen ortalama süre sırasıyla 3,31±1,51 ve 7,45±3,35 aydı. Üç
aylık takipte, hastaların %46,1'i ötiroid oldu ve %15,6'sında TSH seviyeleri
normalleşti. Erken remisyon/hastalık kontrolü sağlanamaması erkeklerde
(p=0,003) ve sigara içenlerde (p=0,036) anlamlı olarak daha
yüksekti. Medikal tedaviyi tamamlayan 72 hastadan 49'unda remisyon sağlandı,
bunlardan 20'sinde relaps izlendi, ilk yıl relaps oranı %20,4 idi. Hastalığın
relapsı, başvuru sırasındaki daha yüksek başlangıç 99 mTechnetium
(99mTc) alımı (p=0,022) ve daha yüksek guatr derecesi (p=0,026) ile anlamlı
şekilde ilişkiliydi. Lojistik regresyon analizine göre, GD relapsını öngördüren
bağımsız risk faktörleri erkek cinsiyet (p=0,048) ve orbitopati
(p=0,036) idi. Sonuç: Graves hastalığı, atipik olanlar da dahil olmak üzere
çeşitli klinik belirtilerle kendini gösterir ve doğru tanı için dikkatli bir klinik
değerlendirme gereklidir. Cinsiyet ve orbitopati, hastalığın relapsını öngördüren
bağımsız risk faktörleridir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Antitiroid ilaçlar; toksik diffüz guatr; hipertiroidizm; total tiroidektomi; tirotoksikoz
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