[Medical treatment of Graves' disease. Long term results (author's transl)]. / Traitement médical de la maladie de Basedow. Rresultats à long terme.

Out of 115 patients with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease who were treated for 18 months methimazole alone, only 35% had remained in remission for at least 3 years after cessation of antithyroid therapy. A significant correlation was found between recurrent hyperthyroidism and the presence antithyroid antibodies (microsomal antibodies) in the sera of these patients. Periodic assessments of TSH responses to TRH and thyroid suppressibility may be useful in determining the duration of medical therapy.