Long term antithyroid drug therapy for intractable cases of Graves' disease.

Among the 504 patients with Graves' disease in whom the author initiated antithyroid drug therapy between 1956 and 1968 are 14 to whom the administration of antithyroid drug has been continued for 8 to 21 years because of recurrence shortly after the discontinuation of drugs. During these periods, no side effects were observed and three patients went into complete remission after 8, 9 and 20 years of antithyroid drug administration, respectively. It is suggested therefore that the long term administration of antithryoid drugs can be a useful treatment for intractable cases.