Health Dictionary Find a Doctor

Goitre radioactive iodine

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Radioactive iodine

Radioactive iodine

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, oral thyroxine supplements are necessary to avoid harm from hypothyroidism.

References

References

Template:WH Template:WS

Looking for the patient version?

Back to the patient-friendly article

© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH