Myxoedema coma: an almost forgotten, yet still existing cause of multiorgan failure

Louise Havkrog Salomo; Adam Hoegsbro Laursen; Nanna Reiter; Ulla Feldt-Rasmussen

doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-203223

Myxoedema coma: an almost forgotten, yet still existing cause of multiorgan failure

Louise Havkrog Salomo, Adam Hoegsbro Laursen, Nanna Reiter, Ulla Feldt-Rasmussen

Department of Clinical Medicine

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A 48-year-old man was admitted to department of emergency medicine at a tertiary referral hospital due to dizziness and fatigue. Clinical features on admission were non-pitting oedema, dry skin, very sparse hair, a hoarse voice, hypothermia (rectal temperature 28.7°C), macroglossia, sinus bradycardia and slow cerebration. Blood tests revealed severe hypothyroidism. During admission, the patient developed respiratory failure, renal failure, bleeding symptoms and diffuse colitis. The patient was treated with hydrocortisone and levothyroxine and he survived miraculously. This case describes a patient with myxoedema coma with severe hypothermia and cardiac involvement with development of multiorgan dysfunction all linked to the severe depletion of triiodothyronine.

Original language	English
Journal	BMJ Case Reports
Volume	2014
ISSN	1757-790X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2013-203223
Publication status	Published - 30 Jan 2014

Keywords

Bradycardia
Coma
Humans
Hypothermia
Macroglossia
Male
Middle Aged
Multiple Organ Failure
Myxedema
Respiration, Artificial
Respiratory Insufficiency
Thyroxine

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title = "Myxoedema coma: an almost forgotten, yet still existing cause of multiorgan failure",

abstract = "A 48-year-old man was admitted to department of emergency medicine at a tertiary referral hospital due to dizziness and fatigue. Clinical features on admission were non-pitting oedema, dry skin, very sparse hair, a hoarse voice, hypothermia (rectal temperature 28.7°C), macroglossia, sinus bradycardia and slow cerebration. Blood tests revealed severe hypothyroidism. During admission, the patient developed respiratory failure, renal failure, bleeding symptoms and diffuse colitis. The patient was treated with hydrocortisone and levothyroxine and he survived miraculously. This case describes a patient with myxoedema coma with severe hypothermia and cardiac involvement with development of multiorgan dysfunction all linked to the severe depletion of triiodothyronine.",

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doi = "10.1136/bcr-2013-203223",

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T1 - Myxoedema coma

T2 - an almost forgotten, yet still existing cause of multiorgan failure

AU - Salomo, Louise Havkrog

AU - Laursen, Adam Hoegsbro

AU - Reiter, Nanna

AU - Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla

PY - 2014/1/30

Y1 - 2014/1/30

N2 - A 48-year-old man was admitted to department of emergency medicine at a tertiary referral hospital due to dizziness and fatigue. Clinical features on admission were non-pitting oedema, dry skin, very sparse hair, a hoarse voice, hypothermia (rectal temperature 28.7°C), macroglossia, sinus bradycardia and slow cerebration. Blood tests revealed severe hypothyroidism. During admission, the patient developed respiratory failure, renal failure, bleeding symptoms and diffuse colitis. The patient was treated with hydrocortisone and levothyroxine and he survived miraculously. This case describes a patient with myxoedema coma with severe hypothermia and cardiac involvement with development of multiorgan dysfunction all linked to the severe depletion of triiodothyronine.

AB - A 48-year-old man was admitted to department of emergency medicine at a tertiary referral hospital due to dizziness and fatigue. Clinical features on admission were non-pitting oedema, dry skin, very sparse hair, a hoarse voice, hypothermia (rectal temperature 28.7°C), macroglossia, sinus bradycardia and slow cerebration. Blood tests revealed severe hypothyroidism. During admission, the patient developed respiratory failure, renal failure, bleeding symptoms and diffuse colitis. The patient was treated with hydrocortisone and levothyroxine and he survived miraculously. This case describes a patient with myxoedema coma with severe hypothermia and cardiac involvement with development of multiorgan dysfunction all linked to the severe depletion of triiodothyronine.

KW - Bradycardia

KW - Coma

KW - Humans

KW - Hypothermia

KW - Macroglossia

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Multiple Organ Failure

KW - Myxedema

KW - Respiration, Artificial

KW - Respiratory Insufficiency

KW - Thyroxine

U2 - 10.1136/bcr-2013-203223

DO - 10.1136/bcr-2013-203223

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24481020

SN - 1757-790X

VL - 2014

JO - BMJ Case Reports

JF - BMJ Case Reports

ER -

Myxoedema coma: an almost forgotten, yet still existing cause of multiorgan failure

Abstract

Keywords

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