cardiac index by echocardiography as a reliable parameter for effective treatment in thyrotoxic heart disease

ABSTRACT

15 patients with clinically overt thyrotoxicosis were studied, age range 20-45 years. [fmean 34.2 +/- 7.3] one male, 14 females. Serum T3, T4 were elevated in all patients before treatment [T3 range 278-600 ng%-normal 80-200 ng%] and [T4 range 14.4 -24 ng%-normal 5-13 ng%]. Cardiac index was markedly increased in all patients [5.46 +/- 0.65 L/min/m2] .After treatment by neomercozole for 2-5 weeks marked improvement in symptomatology; palpibation [84%], tremor [77%] and nervousness [61.5%] with marked reduction in heart rate in all patients. [P<0.001], the cardiac index in all patients dropped in a highly significant manner [P<0.001]. It is evident from this study that Echocardiography and the measurement of cardiac index could be of additional value in diagnosis and assessment of benifet in medically treated thyrotoxcosis