Quality of life indices and psychoemotional status of the patients presenting with diffuse toxic goiter during the long-term follow-up after iodine radiotherapy

Abstract

A total of 60 patients given substitution treatment with levothyroxin for diffuse toxic goiter were examined within 3-7 years after iodine radiotherapy. The patients showing different TSH levels were allocated to three groups: (group 1: low normal TSH level: 0.4-2.25 mcIU/ml; group 2: high normal TSH level: 2.6-4.0 mcIU/ml; group 3, decompensated hypothyroidism: above 4.0 mcIU/ml but lower than 10 mcIU/ml). The quality of life was assessed with the use of the abridged version of the SF-36 questionnaire and the psychoemotional status based on the Beck depression inventory and the Spilberg-Khanin test. The patients presenting with compensated hypothyroidism showed better characteristics of the quality of life compared with the patients of other groups. Moreover, they were less frequently subjected to anxiety and depressive disorders. It is concluded that replacement therapy with levothyroxin designed to maintain the TSH level within the low normal values ensures a higher quality of life and lower incidence of depressive disorders than in the patients having TSH levels closer to the upper normal limit.