Long-Term Disproportional TSH Hyposecretion in a Patient With Nonautoimmune Hyperthyroidism After Radioiodine Therapy

Nonautoimmune hyperthyroidism (NAH), caused by constitutively active mutants of the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) gene, is recommended to be treated with total thyroidectomy followed by radioiodine administration. Herein, we present a 39-year-old woman with sporadic NAH caused by a TSHR-L512Q mutation. At the age of 20 years, she presented with a large goiter of 370 mL, treated with thiamazole, and opted for radioiodine therapy as outpatient management. Over the next 17 years, she underwent 6 treatments of 13 mCi radioiodine each. She did not experience a relapse of hyperthyroidism, and thiamazole was reduced and later withdrawn during the final radioiodine treatment. The patient's goiter significantly reduced to 18 mL, and thyroid function tests showed that free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine levels were below the lower limit of the reference ranges, while TSH remained within the reference range for 20 months. Along with an almost normal TSH response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation, no pituitary atrophy was observed on magnetic resonance imaging. Contrary to the recommended treatment, this case showed that fractionated radioiodine therapy alone is effective in controlling thyroid function and in reducing goiter size. Low TSH levels during treatment should not be assessed as subclinical hyperthyroidism or as risk of relapse.