Nieuwe aanwijzingen voor het 'strumazol-syndroom'

A 3 year old boy, whose mother used methimazole during the first trimester of pregnancy because of Graves disease, was born with several congenital abnormalities. He had, amongst others, an (ruptured) omphalocele and multiple facial dysmorphias. When he was 7 months old there was also a mild developmental delay, which had resolved itself one and a half year later. As previously described in the literature, a teratogenic effect of the medication, the 'methimazole syndrome', was considered in this boy. Since there is increasing evidence for an association between the use of methimazole during pregnancy and congenital deformities, propylthiouracil (PTU) is the drug of choice in treating hyperthyroidism during pregnancy.