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Abstract.A prospective long-term follow-up study was performed with conventional divided doses (group C:10 mg 3 times daily, N=58) and a small single daily dose (group S:15 mg once daily, N=54) of methimazole (MMI) for the treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism. Within 8 weeks, almost 80% of the patients in both groups became euthyroid. The mean time required to achieve a euthyroid state was 5.6 ± 2.7 weeks in group C and 5.8 ± 3.1 in group S. TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) levels before therapy were 44.2 ± 22.7% and 47.1 ± 23.9% in group C and group S, respectively. A similar gradual fall in TBII levels was observed in both groups over a two-year period of treatment. MMI doses were gradually reduced to a maintenance dose (5 mg daily) after the patients became euthyroid. The patients were treated for 28 ± 9 months and were followed up after therapy was stopped (observation period in patients who remained in remission was 12-130 (75 ± 34) months and the interval to relapse in reccured cases was 1-98 (20 ± 27) months).The rates of recurrence in group C were 41% at 1 yr, 54% at 2 yrs, 56% at 4 yrs and 61% at 6 yrs. In group S, these were 44%, 53%, 56% and 63%, respectively. No differences between relapse rates were observed with the two different dosage regimens. Adverse effects occurred more frequently in group C patients (24%) than in group S patients (13%). These results show that there is no difference in the clinical and immunological course or in the long-term remission rate of Graves' hyperthyroidism when the treatment is initiated with either a small single daily dose (15 mg) or the conventional regimen (10 mg 3 times daily).

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A prospective randomized trial with the conventional divided doses (10 mg 3 times daily, N = 29) and a small single daily dose (15 mg once daily, N = 25) of methimazole for the treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism was performed. Within 8 weeks, almost 80% of the patients in both groups became euthyroid. The mean time required to achieve the euthyroid state was 6.0 \m=+-\2.8 and 6.0 \m=+-\3.8 weeks, respectively. TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin was found in about 90% of the patients in both groups before methimazole treatment. However, a gradual fall of its levels was observed in nearly all patients after treatment. There was no difference in the mean levels of TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin between the two groups during therapy. We conclude that the single daily dose regimen of 15 mg of methimazole will control Graves' hyperthyroidism in most patients, and TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin levels decrease in this regimen in the same way as with the conventional divided dose regimen (10 mg 3 times daily). Methimazole (MMI) is the most widely used anti-