Goiter medical therapy

Treatment

Treatment for goitre may not be necessary if the goitre is small. Hypothyroidism should be treated, and this treatment often leads to a substantial reduction in the size of the goitre. Removal of the goitre may be necessary if it causes difficulty with breathing or swallowing. There is now an alternative to surgery in large goitres. Radioiodine therapy with or without the pre-injection of a synthetic thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH, can relieve obstruction and reduce the size of the goitre by 30-65%. But removal of a goitre requires removing the thyroid. The complete removal of the thyroid gland removes the body's ability to produce thyroid hormone. In this case, supplements of oral thyroxine are necessary to avoid harm from hypothyroidism.