TSH-binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) in thyroidal venous blood and histological grade of intrathyroidal lymphocyte appearance in Graves' disease.

The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of determining the appropriate amount of thyroid tissue to leave behind as remnant weight in subtotal thyroidectomy for Graves' disease by measuring the TBII value, and correlating the outcome to the grade of intrathyroidal lymphocyte infiltration. We therefore have investigated the levels of TBII in the thyroidal (T-TBII) and peripheral (P-TBII) venous blood, and the grade of lymphocytic infiltration and lymph follicle formation in the intrathyroidal tissue. There was no parallel relationship between the T-TBII value and the grade of lymphocytic infiltration and lymph follicle formation. There was no marked difference between the T-TBII value and the P-TBII value. It was thus not possible to use these data to determine the proper remnant weight of Graves' thyroid tissue at the time of surgery.