ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of Nourishing-Yin Removing-Fire and Dissipating-Stagnation Decoction on intrathyroid vascularity( ITV) and serum vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) levels in patients with new diagnoses of Graves disease(GD).Methods 100 patients with new diagnoses of GD were divided into two groups:Group A were treated with Nourishing-Yin Removing-Fire and Dissipating-Stagnation Decoction combined with methimazole(MT) and Group B were treated with MT alone.Thyroid volumes, superior thyroid artery peak systolic velocity(STA-PSV), thyroid vascularity index(TVI) and serum VEGF levels in patients were also observed in Group A and B before and after treatment.The correlation between thyroid volumes and serum VEGF levels in patients was analyzed.Results The parameters of GD were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.01) .There were positive correlation between thyroid volumes and thyroid vascularity index(TVI) or serum VEGF levels in patients(r=0.57, P<0.05;r=0.59,P<0.05).The parameters in Group A and Group B decreased after treatment(P<0.01).STA-PSV, TVI and serum VEGF levels decreased significantly in Group A than those in in Group B after treatment(all P<0.05).Conclusion Nourishing-Yin Removing-Fire and Dissipating-Stagnation Decoction can improve goiters more effectively than traditional western medicine alone by decreasing serum VEGF levels of patients with GD.