scholarly journals Severe Hyperthyroidism Complicated by Agranulocytosis Treated with Therapeutic Plasma Exchange: Case Report and Review of the Literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishnu Garla ◽  
Karthik Kovvuru ◽  
Shradha Ahuja ◽  
Venkatataman Palabindala ◽  
Bharat Malhotra ◽  
...  

Aim. To present a case of Graves’ disease complicated by methimazole induced agranulocytosis treated with therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and review of the literature. Case Presentation. A 21-year-old patient with a history of Graves’ disease presented to the endocrine clinic. His history was significant for heat intolerance, weight loss, and tremors. Upon examination he had tachycardia, smooth goiter, thyroid bruit, and hyperactive reflexes. He was started on methimazole and metoprolol and thyroidectomy was to be done once his thyroid function tests normalized. On follow-up, the patient symptoms persisted. Complete blood count done showed a white blood cell count of 2100 (4000–11,000 cells/cu mm) with a neutrophil count of 400 cells/cu mm, consistent with neutropenia. He was admitted to the hospital and underwent 3 cycles of TPE and was also given filgrastim. He improved clinically and his thyroxine (T4) levels also came down. Thyroidectomy was done. He was discharged on levothyroxine for postsurgical hypothyroidism. Conclusion. Plasmapheresis may be useful in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. It works by removing protein bound hormones and also possibly inflammatory cytokines. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of various modalities of TPE in the treatment of hyperthyroidism.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Zhou ◽  
Meili Duan

Abstract Background: Malaria-associated secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is rare. Moreover, the literature on malaria-associated HLH is sparse, and there are no similar cases reported in China.Case presentation: We report a case of a 29-year-old young woman with unexplained intermittent fever who was admitted to our hospital due to an unclear diagnosis. The patient concealed her history of travel to Nigeria and Dubai before onset. We made a diagnosis of malaria-associated secondary HLH. The treatment strategy for the patient included treatment of the inciting factor (artemether for 9 days followed by artemisinin for 5 days), the use of immunosuppressants (steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin) and supportive care. The patient was discharged in normal physical condition after 25 days of intensive care. No relapses were documented on follow-up at six months and 1 year. Conclusion: Early diagnosis of the primary disease along with timely intervention and a multidisciplinary approach can help patients achieve a satisfactory outcome.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-240
Author(s):  
Artur Schander ◽  
Andrew Glickman ◽  
Nancy Weber ◽  
Brian Rodgers ◽  
Michael Carney

Introduction: Emergency physicians are trained to treat a variety of ailments in the emergency department (ED), some of which are emergent, while others are not. A common complaint seen in the ED is a sore throat. While most sore throats are easily diagnosed and treated, less common causes are often not considered in the differential diagnoses. Therefore, the purpose of this case study was to present an atypical case of sore throat and discuss differential diagnoses. Case Presentation: The patient was a 45-year-old female who presented to the ED with a three-day history of sore throat that was exacerbated by eating and drinking. The patient was not on any prescription medications, but tried over-the-counter medications for the sore throat without any improvement in symptoms. Review of systems was positive for sore throat, fevers, and chills. Physical examination of her oropharynx revealed mildly dry mucous membranes with confluent plaques and white patchy ulcerative appearance involving the tongue, tonsils, hard palate, and soft palate. Rapid streptococcal antigen, mononucleosis spot test, and KOH test were performed and found to be negative. Discussion: After initial testing was negative, a follow-up complete blood count with differential and complete metabolic profile were ordered. The patient was found to have decreased lymphocytes and platelets. Based upon those results, a diagnosis was made in the ED, the patient was started on medication, and further laboratory workup was ordered to confirm the diagnosis. ED providers should consider non-infectious as well as infectious causes for a sore throat, as this might lead to a diagnosis of an underlying condition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-73
Author(s):  
Avinash Aujayeb ◽  
◽  
James Dundas ◽  

A 30-year-old female patient with a past medical history of pernicious anaemia presented with pleuritic chest pain, palpitations, fatigue, coryzal symptoms and a high temperature. She was hypoxic and tachycardic and was extensively investigated as well as aggressively treated. A type 1 ‘gut feeling’ assessment by the admitting medical registrar made the diagnosis possible as thyroid function tests were grossly deranged and pointed to Graves’ disease causing heart failure, complicated by pneumonia. The patient was discharged on carbimazole, antibiotics and beta blockers. Due to a resultant thrombocytopaenia, she has now been swapped onto propylthiouracil and is under active follow up.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A917-A917
Author(s):  
Ahl Jeffrey Caseja ◽  
Samer Nakhle

Abstract Introduction: Hashimotos thyroiditis and Graves disease are two distinct autoimmune disorders of the thyroid. Conversion of hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism is even more rare. We report a case of an established Hashimotos thyoiditis patient who converted into Graves disease. Case Description: 67-year old female with a past medical history of iron-deficiency anemia, dyslipidemia, and depression presented with a six-month history of fatigue, cold-intolerance, hair loss, and weight gain in September of 2015. Laboratory tests confirmed diagnosis of Hashimotos thyroiditis with an elevated TSH 80.7 (0.40-4.50 mIU/L), FT4 0.2 (0.8-1.8 ng/dL), and positive thyroid antibodies TPO 24 (0.0-8.9 IU/mL). She was started on Levothyroxine 88 mcg daily. Gradually she had a decreased requirement of Levothyroxine; from February 2016 to March 2017 she maintained a normal TSH range while on 50 mcg/day with resolution of her symptoms. The patient was then lost to follow-up until she presented in the clinic in September 2018 with complaints of several weeks of easy fatigability, 10lb-weight loss, and periorbital edema. She was found to have a suppressed TSH 0.01, and elevated FT4 2.3, and FT3 8.4 (2.3-4.2 pg/mL). Her Levothyroxine 50 mcg/day was discontinued for four days and labs were repeated which still showed suppressed TSH and elevated FT4 and FT3. She was found to have a positive TRAB and a positive TSI which are consistent with hyperthyroidism. Thyroid ultrasound was performed which showed a heterogeneous thyroid gland with increased vascularity, confirming the diagnosis of Graves disease. She was started on Methimazole 10 mg daily. Her Methimazole dose was adjusted according to her thyroid function test until she had a total thyroidectomy in October 2019. She was started on levothyroxine post-operatively and as of March 2020 is on Levothyroxine 50 mcg/daily. Conclusion: Despite the rarity of Hashimotos thyroiditis converting to Graves disease, it is possible that those affected can be encountered by primary care providers and hospitalists and could easily be mistaken for over-replacement of levothyroxine. Close monitoring of the patient along with regular thyroid function tests will be required for ongoing follow-up.


Author(s):  
V Larouche ◽  
M Tamilia

Summary Enteroviruses, including coxsackieviruses and Echovirus, are well known pathogens responsible for the development of thyroiditis. We describe the case of a 49-year-old woman with no personal or family history of thyroid disease who presented to the emergency room with a two-week history of daily fevers up to 39°C, a sore throat, occasional palpitations and diaphoresis, decreased appetite and an unintentional 10 kg weight loss over the same time course Physical examination revealed mild tachycardia, an intention tremor and a normal-sized, nontender thyroid gland without palpable nodules. The remainder of the physical examination was unremarkable and without stigmata of Graves’ disease. Her initial blood tests revealed overt thyrotoxicosis, elevated liver enzymes, an elevated C-reactive protein, a negative monospot and a positive CMV IgM antibody. Thyroid sonography revealed areas of hypoechogenicity and relatively low vascularity. Fine-needle biopsy showed a lymphocytic infiltrate. The patient was treated symptomatically with propranolol. On follow-up, the patient became euthyroid, and her liver enzymes normalised. Previous cases of CMV-induced thyroiditis occurred in immunosuppressed patients. This is the first reported case of a CMV-mononucleosis-induced thyroiditis in an immunocompetent adult patient and serves as a reminder that viral illnesses are a common cause of thyroiditis with abnormal liver enzymes. Learning points: The differential diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis with abnormal liver enzymes includes severe hyperthyroidism and thyroid storm caused by Graves’ disease as well as the thyrotoxic phase of a thyroiditis, usually caused by a virus such as coxsackievirus or, in this case, cytomegalovirus. Cytomegalovirus appears to be a recently recognized causal agent for thyroiditis, both in immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients. Careful follow-up of thyroid function tests in patients with thyroiditis allows clinicians to determine if patients’ thyroid hormone secretion normalizes or if they remain hypothyroid.


Author(s):  
Veronika Shavlokhova ◽  
Benjamin Goeppert ◽  
Matthias M. Gaida ◽  
Babak Saravi ◽  
Frederic Weichel ◽  
...  

Background: Brown tumor is a rare skeletal manifestation of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Although diagnosis of the disease is increasingly seen in early stages due to improved screening techniques, some patients still present in a progressed disease stage. The treatment depends on tumor mass and varies from a conservative approach with supportive parathyroidectomy to extensive surgical resection with subsequent reconstruction. Case presentation: We report a case of extensive mandibular brown tumor in a patient with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic kidney disease, and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Following radical resection of the affected bone, reconstruction could be successfully performed using a free flap. Conclusions: There were no signs of recurrence during five years of close follow-up. Increased awareness and multidisciplinary follow-ups could allow early diagnosis and prevent the need for radical therapeutical approaches.


Author(s):  
Adam Lee ◽  
Adam Bajinting ◽  
Abby Lunneen ◽  
Colleen M. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Gustavo A. Villalona

AbstractReports of incidental pneumomediastinum in infants secondary to inflicted trauma are limited. A retrospective review of infants with pneumomediastinum and history of inflicted trauma was performed. A comprehensive literature review was performed. Three infants presented with pneumomediastinum associated with inflicted trauma. Mean age was 4.6 weeks. All patients underwent diagnostic studies, as well as a standardized evaluation for nonaccidental trauma. All patients with pneumomediastinum were resolved at follow-up. Review of the literature identified other cases with similar presentations with related oropharyngeal injuries. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in previously healthy infants may be associated with inflicted injuries. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of an oropharyngeal perforation related to this presentation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Whiting ◽  
Ian Rudd ◽  
Amit Goel ◽  
Seshadri Sriprasad ◽  
Sanjeev Madaan

Abstract Background Angiomyolipomas are rare mesenchymal tumours arising from the perivascular epithelioid cells consisting of variable amounts of adipose, thick-walled blood vessels and smooth muscle cells. These benign tumours commonly occur in the kidney with only a few case reports of adrenal angiomyolipomas which have the potential to reach a large size and haemorrhage. Case presentation A 45-year-old lady presented with a 3-week history of right loin pain, nausea and vomiting. A CT scan revealed a right adrenal angiomyolipoma measuring 6.3 × 6.8 cm with associated haemorrhage. The lesion was successfully treated with right open adrenalectomy, and histology confirmed the diagnosis of adrenal angiomyolipoma. The patient remained well with no evidence of recurrence at the 36-month follow-up. Conclusion Adrenal angiomyolipomas are rare benign tumours that have the ability to reach a large size and potential to bleed. Here, we report the second case of spontaneous haemorrhage in an adrenal angiomyolipoma, which was successfully treated with open adrenalectomy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 251660852098428
Author(s):  
Vikas Bhatia ◽  
Chirag Jain ◽  
Sucharita Ray ◽  
jay Kumar

Objective: To report a case of young male with stroke and bilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection. Background: Cervical Artery Dissection in Stroke Study trial has provided some insight on management of patients with ICA dissection. However, there is a need to modify the management strategies as per specific clinical scenario. Design/Methods: Case report and literature review. Results: A 45-year-old male presented with 1 month old history of acute onset numbness of right half of the body with slurring of speech. Computed tomography angiography showed complete occlusion of left cervical ICA just beyond origin with presence of fusiform dilatation and spiral flap in right extracranial cervical ICA. The patient was started on antiplatelets and taken for endovascular procedure using 2-mesh-based carotid stents. Patient was discharged after 3 days on antiplatelet therapy. At 1-year follow-up, there were no fresh symptoms. Conclusion: This case emphasizes the role of successful endovascular management of carotid dissection in a young male. These clinical situations may not be fully represented in trials, and a case-based approach is required.


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