Background: Hyperthyroidism is a disease of the thyroid gland characterized by elevated levels of thyroid hormones. It is present in 0.5-2% of patients and is ten times more common in women. For patients who have severe symptoms of hyperthyroidism or with a significant risk of complications, antithyroid drugs are recommended, the effect of which affects the duration of the disease. Objectives: The goal of this study is to determine the frequency and duration of hyperthyroidism depending on the therapeutic treatment in endocrinological patients. Methods: The study is retrospective, clinical, performed in the period 01.01.2019.- 01.08.2019. at the Endocrinology Counseling Center of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo (KCUS). In a seven-month period of 2002 patients of both sex, 37 patients with hyperthyroidism were analyzed. Data were taken from specialist findings from the Hospital Information System (BIS) of the Endocrinology Counseling Center of the Clinic for Nuclear Medicine and Endocrinology. None of the patients were excluded from the study. In all hyperthyroid patients data on gender, age, duration of hyperthyroidism, type of thyrostatics, presence of elevated thyroid antibody titer, and thyroid ultrasound were analyzed from the medical findings. Results: Out of the 2002 endocrinological patients, 37 or 1.85% were diagnosed with hyperthyreosis. Out of 37 patients, 32 (86%) were females and 5 (14%) males, aged 25-89 years. There were 25 patients on thiamazole and 12 on propylthiouracil therapy. The average duration of hyperthyroidism was 22.9 months. There were 23 patients in remission. The average remission lasted 5.9 months (maximum 16, minimum 1 month). Anti thyroglobulin antibodies (anti TgAt) were elevated in 20 patients, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti TPOAt) were elevated in 12 patients, while thyrotropin receptor antibodies (anti TSHRAt) were increased in 20 patients. Conclusion: According to our study, hyperthyroidism is frequent and patients in our counseling center stay on medical treatment longer than recommended, because they avoid definitive treatment of hyperthyroidism (radioactive iodine, surgery). Further studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina should monitor the frequency of hyperthyroidism with a larger number of samples, and the frequency of side effects in drug therapy of hyperthyroidism in order to prove the benefits and limitations of definitive treatment.
Key words: hyperthyroidism, antithyroid therapy, remission
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