Q J Med 2002; 95: 188-189
© 2002 Association of Physicians
Correspondence |
Pericardial disease associated with Grave's thyrotoxicosis
Cardiology Department, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Cardiology Department, Milton Keynes General Hospital, Milton Keynes
Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, Derby
Sir,
Cardiac complications may dominate the clinical picture in the middle-aged and older patient with thyrotoxicosis. A cardiomyopathy with poor resting systolic function, which may or may not be reversible following return to the euthyroid state, has occasionally been described.1,2 Other poorly-understood complications include atrioventricular block and acute ischaemic syndromes, including myocardial infarction in the absence of coronary disease. Transient widespread ST/T wave changes and atrial fibrillation are common in hyperthyroidism. We suggest that pericardial disease may be an unrecognized complication of hyperthyroidism.
Patient
References