Cardiac tamponade as a presentation of primary hypothyroidism in a young woman
Jiménez-Nácher, J.J.; de Alonso, N.; Vega, B.; del Río, A.; Moya, J.L.; Barrios, V.; Hurtado, A.
Revista Clinica Espanola 193(6): 290-292
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-2565 PMID: 8259451 Document Number: 417711
Pericardial effusion (PE) as a hypothyroidism associated sign, is something that can be found with relative frequency; nevertheless, cardiac tamponade (CT) as the first sign of this disease may be considered exceptional especially in young patients. We report a 31 years old woman with clinical symptoms and signs of CT that in the forward workshop was diagnosed of primary hypothyroidism as cause of the CT. We shortly describe the case and review the literature, emphasizing the importance of the knowledge of CT trigger factors in myxedematous PE, as well as its usual benign evolution with hormonal treatment, without recurrences of the CT after pericardiocentesis is performed. This justify a conservative approach, in spite of the slow resolution of the PE what can take as long as 1.5 years.