Pretibial myxedema
| Pretibial myxedema | |
|---|---|
shins of someone with pretibial myxedema | |
| Specialty | Endocrinology  |
Pretibial myxedema (myxoedema in British English, also known as Graves' dermopathy, thyroid dermopathy,[1] Jadassohn-Dösseker disease or myxoedema tuberosum) is an infiltrative dermopathy, resulting as a rare complication of Graves' disease,[2] with an incidence rate of about 1–5%.
Signs and symptoms
Pretibial myxedema is almost always preceded by the ocular signs found in Graves' disease.[3] It usually presents itself as a waxy, discolored induration of the
The
Risk factors
There are suggestions in the medical literature that treatment with radioactive iodine for Graves' hyperthyroidism may be a trigger for pretibial myxedema[5] which would be consistent with radioiodine ablation causing or aggravating ophthalmopathy, a condition which commonly occurs with pretibial myxedema and is believed to have common underlying features.[6]
Other known triggers for ophthalmopathy include thyroid hormone imbalance, and tobacco smoking, but there has been little research attempting to confirm these are also risk factors for pretibial myxedema.
Diagnosis
A
Management
Many cases of pretibial myxedema, particularly cases that are mild, can be managed without specific pharmacologic treatment; approximately 50% of mild cases achieve complete remission without treatment after several years. When pharmacologic treatment is considered, topical, locally injected, or systemic corticosteroids may be used.[7]
References
- PMID 11836263.
- PMID 18337527.
- ISBN 978-0729540759; pbk)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link - ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.
- S2CID 36798692.
- PMID 8777383.
- S2CID 23661734.