The use of lithium carbonate in preoperative preparation of patients with toxic goiter

Preoperative preparation of patients with toxic goiter remains a difficult and urgent problem for surgeons and endocrinologists. One of the effective methods of preoperative preparation of patients with thyrotoxicosis is the combined use of mercazolil with inorganic iodine preparations, reserpine, beta-adreno blockers, ganglioblockers. However, a number of authors [2, 5], using iodine and bromine preparations with mercazolil, did not note a significant thyrostatic effect and therefore such a combination was considered unjustified. Antithyroid therapy with mercazolil, along with positive, has a number of negative aspects: it has a goitre effect, inhibits hematopoiesis in large doses, is contraindicated in pregnant women, and most importantly, is often ineffective. There are patients who are completely resistant to mercazolil [1].