A 62-year-old woman with a 4-year history of Graves' disease has not responded to medical therapy.She is scheduled for a subtotal thyroidectomy.Which condition,a complication of Graves' disease,is her probable indication for a subtotal thyroidectomy?

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Graves' disease,the most common cause of hyperthyroidism,is associated with diffuse,bilateral enlargement of the thyroid gland.Surgery is reserved for those patients who fail medical therapy (antithyroid drugs and radioactive iodine)or have a contraindication to medical therapy.Surgery may be indicated to relieve tracheal or esophageal obstruction or to rule out a malignant nodule of the thyroid.

A 62-Year-Old Woman with a 4-Year History of Graves' Disease