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Publication

Management of Hyperthyroidism in Pregnancy: Results of a Survey among Members of the European Thyroid Association

Journal Contribution - Journal Article

Background: An optimal management of maternal hyperthyroidism
is important for positive pregnancy outcome,
and to this end, the Endocrine Society published their
guidelines in 2007. This survey aimed to investigate to what
extent the clinical practice relating to the management of
hyperthyroidism during pregnancy in Europe is uniform
and consistent with the guidelines. Materials and Methods:
We e-mailed an online questionnaire survey based on
clinical case scenarios to 605 members of the European Thyroid
Association. We analysed 190 responses from 28 European
countries. Results: For a woman with newly diagnosed
Graves disease (GD) and wishing pregnancy, 78% of
the responders would initiate antithyroid drugs (ATDs),
while 22% would recommend definitive treatment with radioiodine
or surgery. In case of a relapsed GD before pregnancy,
80% preferred definitive treatment. For a woman
with newly diagnosed GD during pregnancy, 53% would
treat with propylthiouracil, 12% with methimazole, and 34%
with propylthiouracil initially and switch to methimazole after
the first trimester. Responders used several combinations
of tests to monitor the dose of ATDs, and the thyroid
test results they targeted were inconsistent. For a lactating
woman with GD, 68% would give ATDs without stopping
lactation. Conclusions: Variation in the clinical practices
surrounding the management of hyperthyroid pregnant
women in Europe still exists.
Journal: European Thyroid Journal
ISSN: 2235-0640
Issue: 1
Volume: 1
Pages: 34-40
Publication year:2012
Keywords:European Thyroid Association