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Objective: The intermediate-risk (IR) category includes tumors with different degrees of aggression. We aimed to identify the risk factors associated with unfavorable response to initial treatment and compare the effect of low/high radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. Subjects and methods: A total of 614 IR patients were selected from a database, during 1972-2015. All patients underwent total thyroidectomy and RAI therapy and were reclassified after 12-18 months into the favorable (complete/indeterminate) response group and the unfavorable (biochemical/incomplete structural) response group. A total of 92 patients were assessed for late response (mean: 9.19 ± 5.73 years). Age, gender, tumor size, histology, multifocality, vascular invasion, extrathyroidal extension, presence and number of lymph node metastasis, and stimulated thyroglobulin at ablation (sTg) were evaluated. Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 41.47 ± 15.81 years, and 83.6% of the patients were female. Within 12-18 months after initial therapy, unfavorable response was detected in 41.2% of the patients and was associated, in multivariate analysis, with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.041; odds ratio [OR] = 1.9), presence of more than five metastatic lymph nodes (p = 0,017; OR = 2.6), and sTg > 10 ng/mL (p = 0.005; OR = 10.0). For patients with a longer follow-up, sTg >10 ng/mL was associated with unfavorable response (p = 0.002; OR = 6.8). A higher RAI dose was not related to better prognosis at the end of the follow-up. Conclusion: A sTg level of >10 ng/mL and lymph node metastasis were associated with an unfavorable response 12-18 months after initial treatment. A RAI dose below 150 mCi was proven sufficient to treat IR patients.

Objective: Although thyroid microcarcinoma (TMC) usually has a favorable prognosis, some patients present a higher risk of disease recurrence or persistence. Thus, we aimed at identifying possible risk factors associated with an incomplete response to therapy in TMC. Subjects and methods: This was a retrospective study of 517 patients with TMC treated with total thyroidectomy, with or without radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy, reclassified after 1.1 ± 0.4 years according to the response to treatment into “favorable” (excellent/indeterminate) or “unfavorable” (biochemical/structural incomplete) responses. We evaluated participants' age, sex, tumor size, histological variants, multifocality, presence of vascular/lymphatic/perineural invasion, extrathyroidal extension, metastatic lymph nodes (LN), and distant metastasis. The effect of RAI therapy on the response range was analyzed in a given subgroup. Results: The mean age observed was 46.4 ± 12.0 years, and 89.7% were female. We noted 97.5% with papillary carcinoma, 27.8% with multifocality and 11.2% with LN metastasis. Although the majority of patients had a low risk of recurrence/persistence (78%), 75% were submitted to RAI therapy. Incomplete response (20.7%) was associated with multifocality (p=0.041; OR=1.619) and metastatic LN (p=0.041; OR=1.868). These variables were strongly correlated (p=0.000; OR=3.283). No cut-off of tumor size was identified as a predictor of incomplete response by the receiver operating curve analysis. RAI treatment did not influence the response of patients with multifocality or LN metastasis. Conclusion: Multifocality and LN metastasis are independent risk factors for incomplete response in TMC patients and are strongly correlated. Additional RAI therapy was not associated with a more favorable response in these subgroups.

Background/aims Treatments for Graves' disease (GD) in children and adolescents include oral antithyroid drugs (ATDs), near total thyroidectomy, and radioactive iodine (RAI). ATDs remain the preferred choice in this age group, but because persistent remission occurs in 30% of cases, RAI is becoming a common option for definitive therapy. Methods We performed a review of 65 medical records of GD patients under age 19 years who were followed between 1985 and 2005. Results The prevalence of GD was higher in females (3:1) and during puberty (for both genders). If no remission was detected during ATD treatment, RAI was indicated when the following criteria were present: non-compliance, relapse, or side effects that were related to ATDs, large goiter, and long-term use of ATDs. The majority of patients developed hypothyroidism within 6 months after RAI. A progressive higher dose regimen was implemented in the last 10 years of the study period. A second RAI dose was necessary in eight cases. During the follow-up period, three pregnancies occurred. One patient with a thyroid nodule and benign cytology was detected. Conclusions RAI therapy is effective and safe in the treatment of GD in children and adolescents.

Summary Graves's disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. There are three current therapeutic options: anti-thyroid medication, surgery, and radioactive iodine (I 131). There are few data in the literature regarding the effects of radioiodine therapy on the larynx and voice. The aim and the Aim os this study was: to assess the effect of radioiodine therapy on the voice of Basedow-Graves patients. Material and Method A prospective study was done. Following the diagnosis of Grave's disease, patients underwent investigation of their voice, measurement of maximum phonatory time (/a/) and the s/z ratio, fundamental frequency analysis (Praat software), laringoscopy and (perceptive-auditory) analysis in three different conditions: pre-treatment, 4 days, and 20 days post-radioiodine therapy. Conditions are based on the inflammatory pattern of thyroid tissue (Jones et al. 1999). Results No statistically significant differences were found in voice characteristics in these three conditions. Conclusion Radioiodine therapy does not affect voice quality.