Non-surgical approach to the benign nodular goiter: new opportunities by recombinant human TSH-stimulated ¹³¹I-therapy

The optimal treatment strategy in a goiter patient depends—among other factors—on goiter size, the degree of cosmetic or compressive symptoms, the age of the patient, the impact on the upper airways, the wish to maintain normal thyroid function, the ability of the thyroid gland to take up ¹³¹I, and the possibility of thyroid malignancy. When treatment is warranted in a patient with benign goiter, the choice usually stands between surgery and ¹³¹I-therapy. Focal destructive treatment, by ethanol sclerotherapy or interstitial laser photocoagulation, may be considered in patients with a solitary benign nodule. If thyroid hyperfunction due to nodular autonomy is the dominant problem, life-long anti-thyroid drug treatment may be relevant in elderly individuals. With the advent of recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) stimulation the goiter reduction following ¹³¹I-therapy is significantly enhanced and this treatment is of particular benefit, as compared with conventional ¹³¹I-therapy, in patients with a low baseline thyroid ¹³¹I uptake and a large goiter. If the rhTSH dose does not exceed 0.1 mg the risk of temporary hyperthyroidism and acute thyroid swelling is low. Since patient satisfaction seemingly is not improved by the greater goiter reduction obtained by rhTSH-stimulated ¹³¹I-therapy, and permanent hypothyroidism is more frequent, it may be more relevant to reduce the administered radioactivity equivalent to the rhTSH-induced increase in the thyroid ¹³¹I uptake. Future large-scale well-controlled studies should explore this strategy, with focus on cost-benefit and quality of life. A major hindrance of widespread and routine use of rhTSH-stimulated ¹³¹I-therapy is its present status as an off-label treatment.