Myxedema madness complicating postoperative follow-up of thyroid cancer

Although hypothyroidism is associated with an increased prevalence of psychiatric manifestations, myxedema madness is rarely observed. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with no prior history of psychiatric disorders, who presented to the emergency department with psychomotor agitation 6 weeks after total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid cancer. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) on admission was 62.9 mIU/L and free T4 was < 0.35 ng/dL, indicating severe hypothyroidism. After ruling out other possible causes, the diagnosis of myxedema madness was considered; hence, antipsychotic drug treatment and intravenous levothyroxine were prescribed. Behavioral symptoms returned to normal within 4 days of presentation, while levels of thyroid hormones attained normal values 1 week after admission. Recombinant TSH (Thyrogen®) was used successfully to prevent new episodes of mania due to thyroid hormone withdrawal in further controls for her thyroid cancer. This case illustrates that myxedema madness can occur in the setting of acute hypothyroidism, completely reverting with levothyroxine and antipsychotic treatment. Recombinant TSH may be a useful tool to prevent myxedema madness or any severe manifestation of levothyroxine withdrawal for the follow-up of thyroid cancer.

Pre-tibial myxedema: treatment with intralesional corticosteroid

The pretibial myxedema is a manifestation of Graves' disease characterized by accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in the reticular dermis. The dermopathy is self-limiting but in some cases may cause cosmetic and functional damage. Conventional treatment is use of topical steroids under occlusive dressing, however the intralesional application has shown good results. We present a case of pretibial myxedema treated with single injection of intralesional corticosteroid.

Coma mixedematoso em paciente com neurofibromatose tipo 1: associação rara / Myxedema coma in a patient with type 1 neurofibromatosis: rare association

O coma mixedematoso (CM) é uma emergência endocrinológica rara, porém letal e consiste na expressão extrema do hipotireoidismo. Relatamos o caso de um paciente do sexo masculino, 51 anos, que abandonou tratamento do hipotireoidismo por 10 meses e evoluiu com sintomas de letargia, edema e intolerância ao frio que culminaram em insuficiência respiratória e coma. Apresentava também diagnóstico prévio de neurofibromatose. O diagnóstico precoce do coma mixedematoso aliado à instituição imediata do tratamento com levotiroxina e ao manejo adequado de complicações, como insuficiência respiratória, choque cardiogênico associado a swinging heart, insuficiências adrenal e renal agudas e sepse, permitiu a evolução favorável do quadro.

Myxedema coma, a rare but fatal emergency, is an extreme expression of hypothyroidism. We describe a 51-year-old male patient who has discontinued hypothyroidism treatment 10 months earlier and developed lethargy, edema, and cold intolerance symptoms. He also had a previous diagnosis of neurofibromatosis. After admission, he progressed to respiratory insufficiency and coma. The prompt recognition of the condition, thyroid hormone replacement, and management of the complications (hypoventilation, cardiogenic shock associated with swinging heart, adrenal and renal insufficiency and sepsis), resulted in a favorable evolution.

Ascites due to hypothyroidism in a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis

Myxedema is the cause of ascites in less than 1 per cent of new-onset ascites cases, where as only 4 per cent of patients with hypothyroidism present ascites. When ascites is the first manifestation of thyroid insufficiency, there is usually a delay in diagnosis. We report here a case of myxedema ascites occuring in a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis, that was first thought to be the cause of the ascites, and review the features of 48 cases previously reported. Some clinic and analytical findings that have been commonly reported, are the prompt response (with resolution of ascites) to thyroid replacement treatment, a high total protein concentration in ascitec fluid, white moderate white blood cell counts and a lymphocyte predominance. Serum-ascites albumin gradient has been postulated to be high in myxedema ascites, but we believe this has been studied in too few cases thus far, to be conclusive.

Acropaquia tiroidea / Thyroid acropachy

Se presenta una paciente con exoftalmia, mixedema pretibial e infiltración de los dedos de las manos que en el extremo distal adoptan la forma de palillo de tambor con uñas en vidrio de reloj. Sa analizan las características clínicas, histopatológicas y radiológicas y se efectúa una revisión de la literatura de este raro síndrome

Derrame pericárdico por mixedema y taponamiento cardiaco / Myxedema causing pericardial effusion and cardial tamponada

Se informa el caso de una paciente de 35 años de edad con mixedema y derrame pericárdico importante, que presentó taponamiento cardiaco durante el tratamiento con hormonas tiroideas. El ecocardiograma y la valoración clínica y radiológica periódica mostraron la desaparición del taponamiento y una disminución progresiva del derrame. Se considera que los casos en los que la repercusión clínica del taponamiento no sea importante el tratamiento puede ser exclusivamente médico