Thyrotoxicosis Treated by Surgery or Iodine-131. With Special Reference to Development of Hypothyroidism

Abstract

Eggs of T. canis and ascarid worm of dogs hatch in man's intestine and give rise to larvae which several studies have shown may damage the sight of man; a further case of this is here reported.A survey carried out among dogs and cats in Southern England indicated that approximately 20% are infected with either T. canis or the related species T. cati.There is therefore a considerable possibility that infection with these parasites may occur more commonly than is generally realized among households in which a dog or cat is kept.The seeming predilection that toxocara larvae have for invad- ing the eye is thought to be more apparent than real.When, however, the larvae invade tissues other than the eye, diagnosis of the infection is difficult and clinically may be manifest only by a transient allergic state.In view of this, experiments have been carried out using an intradermal test with antigen prepared from adult T. canis.When antigen in a dilution of 1 in 1000 is used, cross- reactions do not seem to occur in patients infected with worms other than T. canis or T. cati and false-positive reactions rarely if ever occur in controls free from demonstrable infections.The use of this test in a series of 35 patients with a history of past or present asthma, urticarial skin eruptions, choroido- retinitis, or otherwise unexplained eosinophilia indicated that 11 of them had been infected with T. canis or T. cati in the past.It is suggested that more attention should be given to the danger these infections constitute to the public health.Many members of the medical unit at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases have assisted in this work at various times and we are particularly grateful to