Therapeutic plasmapheresis for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis: A retrospective multi‐center study

Background and aims Thyroid storm and severe thyrotoxicosis remain among the most frequent endocrine emergencies, and first‐line hyperthyroidism treatment is not always an option. Since the first report in 1970, plasmapheresis is a second‐line treatment for severe or otherwise untreatable thyrotoxicosis when rapid euthyroidism is desired. Methods We present a retrospective study of the experience in treating thyrotoxicosis with plasmapheresis between 2012 and 2020 in two specialized centers in Colombia. We register the demographic and clinical characteristic and compare the thyroid hormones and other biochemical measurements before and after treatment. Results Data from 19 patients was obtained, 58% female with a median age of 35 years (IQR 23.5), and most of them with Graves' disease. The most frequent indication for plasmapheresis was thyroid storm. A median of 4 (IQR 2) sessions lead to a significant reduction in FT4 (P .0001) and TT3 (P