[Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis and Graves' disease. Description of an HLA-CW7-positive case]

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is an uncommon complication of hyperthyroidism, more frequent in Oriental populations and in male than in female subjects. Electron microscopic investigations have shown characteristic degenerative changes of muscle fiber. In this study the sequence of pathophysiologic events proposed by the literature is illustrated and a case of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis in a HLA-CW7 positive patient affected by Graves' disease is reported.