Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Thyroid Conditions
Number of Conditions: 2
Thyroid Storm
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Endocrine and Metabolic Emergencies
Sub-category: Thyroid Conditions
Symptoms:
high fever; rapid heart rate (tachycardia); extreme irritability or agitation; confusion or delirium; profuse sweating; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; heart failure symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath); goiter
Root Cause:
Excessive release of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) leading to a hypermetabolic state, often triggered by infection, trauma, surgery, or discontinuation of antithyroid medications in patients with hyperthyroidism.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical presentation supported by laboratory findings of extremely elevated free T3 and T4 levels, suppressed TSH levels, and systemic organ dysfunction. Other tests may include CBC, liver enzymes, and imaging (to rule out precipitating factors).
Treatment:
Aggressive supportive care, cooling measures for hyperthermia, hydration, electrolyte correction, beta-blockers to control heart rate, antithyroid drugs, iodine to block thyroid hormone release, and corticosteroids to reduce peripheral conversion of T4 to T3.
Medications:
Antithyroid drugs
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare but life-threatening; typically occurs in patients with untreated or poorly managed hyperthyroidism.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Graves’ disease, toxic multinodular goiter, thyroid surgery, infection, trauma, pregnancy, discontinuation of antithyroid drugs, or iodine contrast administration.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
High mortality rate (up to 20-30%) if untreated; early and aggressive treatment significantly improves outcomes.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Heart failure, arrhythmias (e.g., atrial fibrillation), shock, multi-organ failure, and death.
Myxedema Coma
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Endocrine and Metabolic Emergencies
Sub-category: Thyroid Conditions
Symptoms:
severe hypothermia; altered mental status or coma; bradycardia; hypotension; hypoventilation; dry skin; swelling (non-pitting edema); hoarseness; pericardial or pleural effusion; constipation; cold intolerance
Root Cause:
Severe hypothyroidism leading to life-threatening metabolic and organ dysfunction, often triggered by infection, cold exposure, trauma, or medications.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical presentation with supportive findings of extremely low free T3 and T4 levels, elevated TSH (primary hypothyroidism) or low TSH (central hypothyroidism), hyponatremia, hypoglycemia, and signs of hypoxemia or hypercapnia on blood gases.
Treatment:
Immediate administration of thyroid hormone replacement (IV levothyroxine or liothyronine), supportive measures (warming for hypothermia, mechanical ventilation if needed), treatment of underlying causes, and corticosteroids if adrenal insufficiency is suspected.
Medications:
Thyroid hormone replacement
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; more common in elderly women with long-standing untreated hypothyroidism.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Long-standing untreated hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, cold exposure, infections, sedatives, trauma, or certain medications (e.g., amiodarone).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
High mortality rate (30-60%) if untreated; rapid intervention significantly reduces mortality.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Respiratory failure, sepsis, ileus, pericardial effusion, cardiogenic shock, and death.