Amiodarone effects on thyroid: current concepts

Amiodarone is a benzofuranic-derivate iodine-rich drug widely used for the treatment of tachyarrhythmias. In 14-18% of amiodarone-treated patients, there is overt thyroid disfunction, either amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism (AIT) or amiodarone-induced hypothyroidism (AIH). Both AIT and AIH, may develop in apparently normal thyroid glands or in glands with preexisting, clinically silent abnormalities. In this article the author review the problems concerning the diagnosis and treatment of these two different situations