A Case of Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis in a 16-Year-Old Adolescent

ABSTRACT

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a transient illness characterized by muscle weakness often associated with hypokalemia during thyrotoxic state. Hypokalemia is induced by thyroid hormone excess through stimulation of Na-K ATPase which pumps extracellular potassium ions into the cell. Muscle weakness resolves when serum potassium level is corrected, but the condition may recur when there is thyrotoxicosis. TPP is most commonly reported in Asian males aged between 20 to 40 years and it is rare in children and adolescents. We report a 16-year-old patient previously diagnosed with Graves' disease who showed recurrent episodes of TPP.