[Indications for conservative and operative therapy of thyroid autonomy and Basedow hyperthyroidism from the internal medicine viewpoint].

The risk of recurrent hyperthyroidism can be eliminated indefinitely in patients with autonomously functioning thyroid tissue (AFTT) by selective surgery or radioiodine, whereas medical treatment inhibits only the actual thyroid hormone over-production. Therefore, AFTT should be removed. In immunogenic hyperthyroidism the natural history of the disease can be influenced only symptomatically. The relapse rate after medical treatment is more than 50%. After surgical or radioactive therapy long-term remission of hyperthyroidism, not of the underlying thyroid disease can be achieved more effectively. Therefore surgical treatment should be preferred.