Case report: reversible systolic heart failure and deep jaundice in hyperthyroidism

Clinical manifestations and early effectiveness of methimazole in patients with graves' hyperthyroidism-related severe hepatic dysfunction

BACKGROUND

Graves' hyperthyroidism (GH) is often accompanied by mild to moderate liver injury, but severe hepatic dysfunction (SHD) is relatively rare. Whether patients with GH-related SHD can be treated with methimazole (MMI) remains controversial. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and to evaluate the role of low-dose MMI for such patients.

METHODS

33 patients with GH-related SHD were selected for this retrospective study in the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2017 to July 2022. The clinical manifestations, therapeutic responses, and effectiveness of MMI were evaluated.

RESULTS

Systemic jaundice (100.0%), yellow urine (100.0%), fatigue (87.9%), and goiter (66.7%) were the main symptoms. Total bilirubin (TBIL) had no linear correlation with free triiodothyronine (FT3) (r = -0.023, p = .899), free thyroxine (FT4) (r = 0.111, p = .540), T3 (r = -0.144, p = .425), and T4 (r = 0.037, p = .837). On the 14th day after admission, FT3, FT4, T3, T4, TBIL, direct bilirubin (DBIL), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and international normalized ratio (INR) decreased compared with the baseline (p < .05). The decrease rates of FT3, FT4, T3, T4, TBIL, and DBIL in the MMI group were higher than those in the non-MMI group (p < .05). The improvement rate of the MMI group (77.8%) was higher than that of the non-MMI group (9.5%, p = .001). MMI treatment is an independent predictor affecting the early improvement of patients (OR = 0.022, p = .010).

CONCLUSIONS

The main clinical manifestations of patients with GH-related SHD were symptoms related to liver disease. Low-dose MMI was safe and effective for them.

A case of severe cholestatic jaundice with hyperthyroidism successfully treated with methimazole

Liver dysfunction is a common complication observed in patients with hyperthyroidism, however the dysfunction is always mild and obvious jaundice is rarely observed. We present the case of a 43-year-old man who suffered from hyperthyroidism complicated by severe jaundice. The jaundice likely occurred as a secondary consequence of cholestasis due to hyperthyroidism, since other causes such as drug-induced or autoimmune liver dysfunction were ruled out. Treatment with methimazole improved severe cholestatic jaundice in parallel with normalization of thyroid function. The mechanism of cholestasis as a secondary complication of hyperthyroidism has not been uncovered and there is no specific biochemical marker for cholestasis due to this hormonal disease at present. This case serves as a reminder that severe jaundice can be a manifestation of simple hyperthyroidism, and that administration of antithyroid drugs is an effective treatment for severe cholestatic jaundice in such cases.

Two cases of thyroid storm-associated cholestatic jaundice

OBJECTIVE

To describe the association of the rare and serious complication of jaundice with severe thyrotoxicosis, a potentially lethal endocrine disorder.

METHODS

We report the clinical, laboratory, and pathologic findings of 2 cases of severe jaundice (total bilirubin levels: 35.2 mg/dL in case 1 and 42 mg/dL in case 2) associated with thyroid storm in the absence of a history of liver disease, thionamide exposure, or congestive heart failure. We also present other relevant reports available in the literature.

RESULTS

Case 1 was a 38-year-old woman who presented with nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pruritus, and frequent nonbloody diarrhea. She was transferred to our institution because of worsening hyperbilirubinemia. Case 2 was a 35-year-old woman admitted to a community hospital with thyroid storm and jaundice. Upon transfer to our institution, the patient was unconscious, mechanically ventilated, and in atrial fibrillation. In case 2, liver biopsy results revealed diffuse hepatocellular ballooning with intrahepatic cholestasis with mild portal lymphocytic infiltration. Both patients presented with severe cholestatic jaundice in the absence of congestive heart failure; underlying liver disease (infectious or autoimmune); or previous exposure to thionamides, other hepatotoxic agents, or complementary and alternative medications. In both cases, jaundice responded to therapy with antithyroid medications. Both patients eventually underwent thyroidectomy with complete resolution of the jaundice.

CONCLUSION

The data strongly suggest that in these patients, the hepatic dysfunction was primarily due to hyperthyroidism. These cases indicate that the mere presence of hyperbilirubinemia during severe thyrotoxicosis should not per se delay the use of potentially life-saving thionamides once a thorough evaluation for other causes of liver disease has been completed.

Thyrotoxicosis—an uncommon cause of heart failure

A 26-year-old man presented with high output heart failure and severe systolic left ventricular dysfunction. The underlying cause was determined to be thyrotoxicosis. With aggressive treatment of the hyperthyroid state, near-normalization of the patient's left ventricular systolic function was achieved. Unfortunately, he succumbed to pancreatitis, followed by multiple ICU complications. A brief review of the literature is provided.

Severe reversible dilated cardiomyopathy and hyperthyroidism: case report and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

To describe a case of a 46-year-old woman with Graves' disease and reversible low-output congestive heart failure and present a comparative analysis of 23 similar cases reported in the literature.

METHODS

A detailed case report is presented. In addition, a review of the pertinent literature published between 1960 and 2002 was performed to identify similar cases of dilated cardiomyopathy and thyrotoxicosis and to assess the findings in these patients.

RESULTS

A 46-year-old woman without primary heart disease was admitted to the hospital with Graves' thyrotoxicosis and severe low-output congestive heart failure. Her left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at the time of initial assessment was less than 20%, and her condition was categorized as New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III. Nineteen months after she was treated for hyperthyroidism, her LVEF was 49% and her status was NYHA class I. A severe hypotensive episode occurred when b-adrenergic blockade therapy was initiated. The group of 23 similar cases from the literature plus our currently described patient had a mean age of 45 years, a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.2, Graves' disease as the principal cause, and LVEF improvement from 29% to 58%.

CONCLUSION

Dilated cardiomyopathy is an unusual manifestation of hyperthyroidism with unclear cause. Clinicians should be aware of this entity because it is treatable and hypotension can occur if b-adrenergic blockade treatment is initiated.