Hyperthyroidism

To the Editor.—  In an Archives editorial concerning painless thyroiditis as a cause of hyperthyroidism (138:26, 1978), Woolf made the statement that the "treatment of the hyperthyroid phase of this illness with antithyroid medication is ineffective.... " Although the rationale for this statement is given, clinically we have observed a patient with this disorder for a two-year period who has continued to be hyperthyroid. Therapy with thioureas has produced a significant decrease in peripheral thyroid hormone measurements, thus leading us to believe that "accelerated release of preformed hormone" is not the only cause for the hyperthyroid state in this condition. Indeed, the fact that patients have had hyperthyroidism lasting for one to ten months with this condition would suggest that production of the hormone must be taking place and that interference with the normal biosynthetic pathway could prove beneficial, as it has for our patient. We agree that definitive therapy should