Thyroid arterial embolization for the treatment of hyperthyroidism in a patient with thyrotoxic crisis.

PURPOSE: We report a case of hyperthyroidism in a young woman caused by Graves' disease that was successfully treated with thyroid arterial embolization. CLINICAL DETAILS: A 35 year-old woman with a history of thyrotoxic crises was admitted after the last thyroid crisis. Thyroid arterial embolization was used to treat the hyperthyroidism after it had been controlled. Immediately after embolization, the enlarged thyroid gland shrank and vascular murmurs disappeared. Serum thyroid hormones increased on day 3 following embolization but decreased gradually. Thyroid hormone returned to normal 2 months after embolization and remained normal at three years.
CONCLUSION: Thyroid arterial embolization is an effective means to treat refractory hyperthyroidism.