Photo Credit: Dr. Microbe

Total thyroidectomy offers long-lasting effects for patients with Hashimoto disease and persistent symptoms, according to a research letter published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Geir Hoff, MD, PhD, and colleagues examined long-term follow-up of a randomized trial of thyroidectomy plus medical management versus medical management alone for patients with Hashimoto disease with persistent symptoms despite adequate thyroid hormone substitution. At inclusion, the study team gave control patients the option of having surgery 18 months after enrollment, depending on the trial results. Dr. Hoff and colleagues followed up with participants at 5 years in the intervention group and until the date of surgery in the control group. At baseline, 72 and 74 patients were included in the surgery and control groups, respectively. The positive treatment effect on the general health score, seen after 18 months, was maintained through a 3-year follow-up. The improved score remained at the same level in the intervention group during a 5-year follow-up. Results were similar for the other Short Form-36 Health Survey domains and total fatigue and chronic fatigue.