This book describes Myxedema, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

The thyroid is the gland in the center of the neck

When a person is tired and fat, it is usually thyroid hormones she lack

She will feel cold and has a large protuberant tongue

There will slow movements and thoughts out front

There will also be enlargement of the thyroid gland

There will dry coarse skin and unusual weight gain

The most common cause is due to old age

Other include radioactive iodine taken in excess dosage

Some are due to excess removal of thyroid during surgical action

Or autoimmune response to thyroid inflammation

Treatment is usually with synthetic thyroxine

To be taken orally for life. No need for iodine.

-An original poem by Kenneth Kee

Hypothyroidism is also more common in women than in men.

Most of the cases of Hypothyroidism seen at the clinic are secondary Hypothyroidism due to lack of thyroid hormones either they were too aggressively treated for Hyperthyroidism or sometimes due to loss of thyroid hormones as part of aging.

The treatment for Hypothyroidism is thyroxine tablets of 50 to 100 mcg daily for life.

Most of the patients have no symptoms.

Hypothyroidism cases are more common than hyper thyroid cases.

Myxedema is a medical disorder marked by thickening and swelling of the skin caused by advanced hypothyroidism (insufficient thyroid hormone production) or deficiency of thyroxine.

Myxedema is different from hypothyroidism which denotes the presence of low level of thyroid hormones only.

Myxedema indicates the presence of edema of the skin and soft tissue caused by hypothyroidism.

Myxedema coma is a misnomer.

The patients with myxedema coma have no classical non-pitting edema or are not in a coma.

Myxedema is produced by severe hypothyroidism (under active thyroid) and happens more often when hypothyroidism is left untreated.

The doctor can order simple blood tests to determine whether the patient have hypothyroidism, which can result in myxedema.

Depending on the underlying cause, myxedema can be treated with thyroid replacement hormones.

These medicines are successful in removing the symptoms present in myxedema and hypothyroidism.

If the patient is given thyroid replacement medicines, the patient will probably need to take them for the rest of the life.

Left untreated, myxedema can develop dangerous or life-threatening complications.

Myxedema is almost always a consequence of hypothyroidism.

Primary causes:

Congenital:

a. Aplasia (no thyroid),

b. Hyperplasia (small thyroid),

c. Ectopic (not at normal location) thyroid gland

Autoimmune Thyroiditis (Hashimoto thyroiditis):

Inflammation causes insufficient production of thyroid hormones

Iodine deficiency can cause less production of thyroxine

Secondary Causes:

Radioactive iodine decreases secretion of thyroid hormones

Excess removal of thyroid gland causes reduced production of thyroid hormones.

Myxedema during or after pregnancy.

Symptoms of myxedema are thickening of the skin and other symptoms linked with hypothyroidism, such as:

Fatigue,

Weight gain,

Depression,

Dry skin

Diagnosis:

High TSH and low levels of T4 and T3 normally means Myxedema

Myxedema is most often managed by treating the underlying cause of hypothyroidism that led to the thickening and coarseness of the skin:

Hormone replacement with daily doses of thyroxine

Thyroxine dosage is adjusted until a normal TSH level

Life long treatment needed

Topical steroids help

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

Chapter 1 Myxedema

Chapter 2 Causes

Chapter 3 Symptoms

Chapter 4 Diagnosis

Chapter 5 Treatment

Chapter 6 Prognosis

Chapter 7 Congenital Hypothyroidism

Chapter 8 Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Epilogue