Massive pericardial effusion resulted from hypothyroidism: a case report
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Date
2021
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جامعة الشيخ عبدالله البدري
Abstract
Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disorder characterized by high level of thyroid stimulating
hormone and normal or low level of free thyroxine 4 (FT4). Mild pericardial effusion
may complicate hypothyroidism but massive pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade
is quite uncommon. A 40 year old female presented to our emergency unit complaining
of worsening shortness of breath for one week, transthoracic echocardiography revealed
massive pericardial effusion. Laboratory examination showed elevated thyroid stimulating
hormone (TSH), and decreased thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels. The patient
diagnosed as a case of primary hypothyroidism complicated by pericardial effusion and
treated with L-thyroxine replacement therapy. Possibility of hypothyroidism should be put
in mind when assessing cases of pericardial effusion, even if there were no overt features of
the disease, especially when other commoner causes of pericardial effusion were excluded