The Jod-Basedow effect (also Jod-Basedow syndrome and Jod-Basedow phenomenon) is

hyperthyroidism Hyperthyroidism is a endocrine disease in which the thyroid gland produces excessive amounts of thyroid hormones. Thyrotoxicosis is a condition that occurs due to elevated levels of thyroid hormones of any cause and therefore includes hyperth ...

following administration of

iodine Iodine is a chemical element; it has symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists at standard conditions as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...

iodide An iodide ion is I−. Compounds with iodine in formal oxidation state −1 are called iodides. In everyday life, iodide is most commonly encountered as a component of iodized salt, which many governments mandate. Worldwide, iodine deficiency ...

, either as a dietary supplement, for

iodinated contrast Iodinated contrast is a form of water-soluble, intravenous radiocontrast agent containing iodine, which enhances the visibility of vascular structures and organs during radiography, radiographic procedures. Some pathologies, such as cancer, have p ...

medical imaging, or as a medication (mainly

amiodarone Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic medication used to treat and prevent a number of types of cardiac dysrhythmias. This includes ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and wide complex tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and paroxys ...

Pathophysiology

This phenomenon is thus iodine-induced

, typically presenting in a patient with

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

goiter A goitre (British English), or goiter (American English), is a swelling in the neck resulting from an enlarged thyroid gland. A goitre can be associated with a thyroid that is not functioning properly. Worldwide, over 90% of goitre cases are ca ...

(due to

iodine deficiency Iodine deficiency is a lack of the trace element iodine, an essential nutrient in the diet. It may result in metabolic problems such as goiter, sometimes as an endemic goiter as well as congenital iodine deficiency syndrome due to untreated ...

), who relocates to an iodine-abundant geographical area. People who have

Graves disease Graves' disease, also known as toxic diffuse goiter or Basedow's disease, is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. It frequently results in and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It also often results in an enlarged thyroid. ...

, toxic multinodular goiter, or various types of

thyroid adenoma A thyroid adenoma is a benign tumor of the thyroid gland, that may be inactive or active (functioning autonomously) as a toxic adenoma. Signs and symptoms A thyroid adenoma may be clinically silent ("cold" adenoma), or it may be a functional tumo ...

are also at risk of the Jod-Basedow effect when receiving iodine, because the thyroid will then not respond to the negative feedback from increased

thyroid hormone File:Thyroid_system.svg, upright=1.5, The thyroid system of the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine, T3 and T4 rect 376 268 820 433 Thyroid-stimulating hormone rect 411 200 849 266 Thyrotropin-releasing hormone rect 297 168 502 200 Hypothalamus r ...

s. The source of iodine may be from the diet, administration of

for medical imaging, or

(an

antiarrhythmic Antiarrhythmic agents, also known as cardiac dysrhythmia medications, are a class of drugs that are used to suppress abnormally fast rhythms (tachycardias), such as atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia. M ...

drug). The hyperthyroidism usually develops over 2 to 12 weeks following iodine administration. In some ways the Jod-Basedow phenomenon is the opposite of two physiological compensation mechanisms, the

Plummer effect The Plummer effect is one of several physiological Feed forward (control), feedforward mechanisms taking place in Thyroid follicular cell, follicular cells of the healthy thyroid gland and preventing the development of thyrotoxicosis in situations ...

and the Wolff–Chaikoff effect, which in normal persons and in persons with thyroid disease, suppress the thyroid hormone after ingestion of large quantities of iodine or iodide. However, unlike the Plummer and Wolff-Chaikoff effects, the Jod-Basedow effect does not occur in persons with normal thyroid glands, as thyroid hormone synthesis and release in normal persons is controlled by pituitary TSH secretion, which does not allow hyperthyroidism when extra iodine is ingested.

Precautions in medical imaging

administration for medical imaging, monitoring is indicated in people with

thyroid disease Thyroid disease is a medical condition that affects the structure and/or function of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located at the front of the neck and produces thyroid hormones that travel through the blood to help regulate many other ...

, such as toxic multinodular goiter,

Graves' disease Graves' disease, also known as toxic diffuse goiter or Basedow's disease, is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. It frequently results in and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It also often results in an enlarged thyro ...

, or

Hashimoto's thyroiditis Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, Hashimoto's disease and autoimmune thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is gradually destroyed. Early on, symptoms may not be noticed. Over ti ...

. Otherwise, for the general population, routine screening with thyroid function tests is generally not feasible.

History and nomenclature

The Jod-Basedow effect is named for the German word for iodine, ''Jod'' (all nouns are capitalized in German), plus the name of Karl Adolph von Basedow, a German physician who first described the effect. The nomenclature "Jod-Basedow" was carried over intact from German, rather than being translated. The Jod-Basedow phenomenon is differentiated from Basedow's disease, which is occasionally used as a synonym for

References

{{Endocrinology Endocrinology