Saleh A, Fürst G, Feldkamp J, Godehardt E, Grust A, Mödder U
Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Ultrasound Med Biol. 2001 Aug;27(8):1137-41. doi: 10.1016/s0301-5629(01)00410-0.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate if there is an association between the antithyroid drug dose that is needed to establish euthyroidism and thyroid blood flow measurements. A total of 23 Graves' disease patients with euthyroidism taking antithyroid drug therapy were enlisted to undergo spectral duplex sonography of the thyroid arteries and color-flow mapping of the thyroid gland. Color pixel density (CPD) was calculated with computer assistance from the color-flow maps. There was a strong correlation between the CPD and methimazole dose (rp = 0.79). Methimazole maintenance dosage could be predicted from CPD values with a coefficient of determination of 0.62. In conclusion, CPD measurements could be a useful tool for the clinical endocrinologist to estimate the antithyroid drug dose that is needed to maintain euthyroidism.
