Vol 59, No 6 (2008)
Case report
Submitted: 2013-02-15
Published online: 2008-10-30
A case of Graves-Basedow disease with orbitopathy and papillary thyroid cancer
Agata Bałdys-Waligórska, Filip Gołkowski, Grzegorz Sokołowski, Monika Buziak-Bereza, Maciej Skalski, Alicja Hubalewska-Dydejczyk
DOI: 10.5603/ep.25519
·
Endokrynol Pol 2008;59(6):516-520.
Vol 59, No 6 (2008)
Case report
Submitted: 2013-02-15
Published online: 2008-10-30
Abstract
Coexistence of Graves-Basedow disease with orbitopathy and thyroid cancer is believed to be a rare event.
A 39-year-old man with clinical features of hyperthyroidism associated with exophthalmos and goitre presented to out patient clinic.
Thyroid function tests showed hyperthyroidism with elevated thyroid-stimulating antibodies. Graves-Basedow disease was diagnosed.
Ultrasound revealed diffuse thyroid enlargement with hypoechoic pattern and hypoechoic lesions with regular edges of 1.0 cm diameter
at the left and right lobe. Fine needle aspiration biopsy was negative. Due to the patient’s nodular goitre and mild orbitopathy, after some
further 3 months of anti-thyroid medication, near total thyroidectomy was performed. Histologically, papillary microcarcinoma was found.
Following surgery, the patient was referred to our Department of Endocrinology, L-thyroxine suppression treatment was commenced.
Approximately 8 weeks post surgery, the patient reported with eye discomfort, soft tissue oedema and double vision. On CT thickening
of the left superior rectus muscle was found. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy was applied (4 weeks, 2 grams per week). Glucocorticoid
therapy resulted in significant improvement of soft tissue inflammation and of diplopia. The patient was qualified for 131I radioiodine
complementary therapy (3657 MBq) and orbital irradiation.
While some authors suggest that radioiodine therapy may be associated with worsening of pre-existing orbitopathy, so far we have not
observed it in our patient, perhaps due to thyroid removal as a source of autoreactive T lymphocytes and the protective effect of applied
glucocorticoids.
Abstract
Coexistence of Graves-Basedow disease with orbitopathy and thyroid cancer is believed to be a rare event.
A 39-year-old man with clinical features of hyperthyroidism associated with exophthalmos and goitre presented to out patient clinic.
Thyroid function tests showed hyperthyroidism with elevated thyroid-stimulating antibodies. Graves-Basedow disease was diagnosed.
Ultrasound revealed diffuse thyroid enlargement with hypoechoic pattern and hypoechoic lesions with regular edges of 1.0 cm diameter
at the left and right lobe. Fine needle aspiration biopsy was negative. Due to the patient’s nodular goitre and mild orbitopathy, after some
further 3 months of anti-thyroid medication, near total thyroidectomy was performed. Histologically, papillary microcarcinoma was found.
Following surgery, the patient was referred to our Department of Endocrinology, L-thyroxine suppression treatment was commenced.
Approximately 8 weeks post surgery, the patient reported with eye discomfort, soft tissue oedema and double vision. On CT thickening
of the left superior rectus muscle was found. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy was applied (4 weeks, 2 grams per week). Glucocorticoid
therapy resulted in significant improvement of soft tissue inflammation and of diplopia. The patient was qualified for 131I radioiodine
complementary therapy (3657 MBq) and orbital irradiation.
While some authors suggest that radioiodine therapy may be associated with worsening of pre-existing orbitopathy, so far we have not
observed it in our patient, perhaps due to thyroid removal as a source of autoreactive T lymphocytes and the protective effect of applied
glucocorticoids.
Keywords
Graves-Basedow disease; orbitopathy; thyroid papillary cancer; radioiodine treatment
Title
A case of Graves-Basedow disease with orbitopathy and papillary thyroid cancer
Journal
Endokrynologia Polska
Issue
Vol 59, No 6 (2008)
Article type
Case report
Pages
516-520
Published online
2008-10-30
Page views
908
Article views/downloads
3712
DOI
10.5603/ep.25519
Bibliographic record
Endokrynol Pol 2008;59(6):516-520.
Keywords
Graves-Basedow disease
orbitopathy
thyroid papillary cancer
radioiodine treatment
Authors
Agata Bałdys-Waligórska
Filip Gołkowski
Grzegorz Sokołowski
Monika Buziak-Bereza
Maciej Skalski
Alicja Hubalewska-Dydejczyk