THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF TOTAL ABLATION OF NORMAL THYROID ON CONGESTIVE FAILURE AND ANGINA PECTORIS

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Abstract
Studies of the cardiac output in spontaneous myxedema are few. Various observers1have reported a decrease in the minute volume output of the heart in patients with hypothyroidism. The recently reported work of Blumgart and his associates2in establishing the value of total ablation of the thyroid gland in the treatment of chronic intractable cardiac disease made it advisable to study the cardiac output and related aspects of the circulation in hypothyroidism induced by this operation. Data obtained by the acetylene method3for seven patients with no evidence of congestive failure were reported in a previous publication.4This communication presents preoperative and postoperative studies of the cardiac output by means of the ethyl iodide method5in patients with and without congestive failure on whom total thyroidectomy was performed. Results obtained by this method and by the acetylene method in the same patients are compared. MATERIAL