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Published on: June 30, 2023
Shortness of Breath and Lower Limb Edema in a 54-Year-Old Woman, Is There Any Cure?
Alexandra Frogoudaki1, Andreas S Triantafyllis1, Evangeline Vassilatou2
1Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Introduction:
Pulmonary hypertension is common among patients with hyperthyroidism, and Graves' disease constitutes the most common cause of thyrotoxicosis.
Case Presentation:
We report the case of a female patient admitted to the cardiology department with shortness of breath and pretibial myxedema. The diagnostic work-up revealed combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension due to Graves' disease superimposed on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Restoration of thyroid function led to normalization of the pulmonary pressure and symptom resolution.
Conclusions:
Thyroid disease is a cause of reversible pulmonary hypertension and thus should be appropriately considered in the diagnostic algorithm in patients with dyspnea, clinical signs of hyperthyroidism and elevated pulmonary pressure.
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