Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effects of sodium selenite combination prednisone in patients with subacute thyroiditis( SAT).METHODS: 78 cases of SAT were studied with a randomized controlled prospective study from Sep 2004 to Aug 2008 in our hospital.In control group, 2 cases were lost, 37 patients were completed the observation, the treatment group were 39 cases.Prednisone was treated in both groups, sodium selenite was served in treatment group, with a total course of about 8 weeks.RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR) of sodium selenite group was lower than that of control group at 2th and 4th weeks ( P <0.05), ¹³¹ I uptake rate of sodium selenite group was higher than that of control group at 2 h, 6 h and 24 h ( P < 0.01), while the relapse rate was lower than that of the control group ( P <0.05).CONCLUSION: The sodium selenite can shorten the course of subacute thyroiditis and reduce the relapse rate.

Key words: sodium selenite, subacute thyroiditis(SAT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR), ¹³¹ I uptake rate