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Mohamed MFH, Danjuma M, Mohammed M, Mohamed S, Siepmann M, Barlinn K, Suwileh S, Abdalla L, Al-Mohanadi D, Silva Godínez JC, Elzouki AN, Siepmann T. Myxedema Psychosis: Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021; 17:2713-2728. [PMID: 34447249 PMCID: PMC8382967 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s318651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The term myxedema psychosis (MP) was introduced to describe the occurrence of psychotic symptoms in patients with untreated hypothyroidism, but the optimal assessment and treatment of this condition are unclear. We aimed to synthesize data from the literature to characterize the clinical presentation and management of MP. METHODS We performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines in PubMed (Medline), Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases, including observational studies, case series, and case reports published from 1/1/1980 to 31/12/2019 in the English language. Descriptive statistics along with univariate and multivariate analysis were used for data synthesis. RESULTS Out of 1583 articles screened, 71 case reports met our inclusion criteria providing data on 75 MP cases. The median age at diagnosis was 42 years [32-56]. About 53% had no prior hypothyroidism diagnosis. Delusions occurred in 91%, with a predominance of persecutory ideas (84%), while hallucinations occurred in 78%. Physical symptoms and signs of hypothyroidism were absent in 37% and 26%, respectively. If symptoms occurred, nonspecific fatigue was seen most frequently (63%). The median thyroid-stimulating hormone value was 93 mIU/L [60-139]. Thyroid peroxidase antibodies were found positive in 75% (23/33) of reported cases. Creatinine kinase was reported abnormal in seven cases. Cranial imaging (CT or MRI) and electroencephalogram were normal in 89%, 75%, and 73% of the cases reported. The majority of patients were treated orally with thyroxine in combination with short-term antipsychotics. More than 90% of them showed complete recovery. Univariate analysis revealed a trend towards a shorter duration of psychosis with IV thyroid hormone therapy (p= 0.0502), but the effect was not consistent in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION While we identified a substantial lack of published research on MP, our pooled analysis of case observations suggests that the condition presents a broad spectrum of psychiatric and physical symptoms lending support to the value of screening for thyroid dysfunction in patients with first-ever psychosis. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42020160310.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouhand F H Mohamed
- Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Health Care Sciences, Center for Clinical Research and Management Education, Dresden International University, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mohammed Danjuma
- Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Samreen Mohamed
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Martin Siepmann
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kristian Barlinn
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Salah Suwileh
- Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Lina Abdalla
- Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Juan Carlos Silva Godínez
- Department of Surgery, National Medical Center Siglo XXI, Mexican Social Security Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abdel-Naser Elzouki
- Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Timo Siepmann
- Department of Health Care Sciences, Center for Clinical Research and Management Education, Dresden International University, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Cosci F, Fava GA, Sonino N. Mood and anxiety disorders as early manifestations of medical illness: a systematic review. PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS 2015; 84:22-9. [PMID: 25547421 DOI: 10.1159/000367913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Affective disturbances involving alterations of mood, anxiety and irritability may be early symptoms of medical illnesses. The aim of this paper was to provide a systematic review of the literature with qualitative data synthesis. METHODS MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane, and ISI Web of Science were systematically searched from inception to February 2014. Search terms were 'prodrome/early symptom', combined using the Boolean 'AND' operator with 'anxiety/depression/mania/hypomania/irritability/irritable mood/hostility', combined with the Boolean 'AND' operator with 'medical illness/medical disorder'. PRISMA guidelines were followed. RESULTS A total of 21 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Depression was found to be the most common affective prodrome of medical disorders and was consistently reported in Cushing's syndrome, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, pancreatic and lung cancer, myocardial infarction, Wilson's disease, and AIDS. Mania, anxiety and irritability were less frequent. CONCLUSIONS Physicians may not pursue medical workup of cases that appear to be psychiatric in nature. They should be alerted that disturbances in mood, anxiety and irritability may antedate the appearance of a medical disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiammetta Cosci
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Abstract
Myxedema madness is a very rare but established entity. A psychotic patient having hypothyroid features should always be evaluated regarding same. A 30-year-old female without known significant past medical history had, for the past one and half year, continuous persecutory and referential delusions; second and third person auditory hallucinations, facial puffiness and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score of 41 on admission. Her thyroid profile was: Thyroid stimulating hormone - 63.71 mIU/L, Free tri iodo threonine (FT3) - 2.1 pg/ml, free tetra iodo thyronine (FT4) - 0.6 ng/ml with normal ultrasound-thyroid. Patient was started on thyroxin 100 μg with a low dose risperidone 2 mg. Risperidone was withdrawn over a week and the patient was discharged on thyroxin alone with BPRS score of 8 and absence of delusions and hallucinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimesh Parikh
- Department of psychiatry, V S Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Prateek Sharma
- Department of psychiatry, V S Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Chirag Parmar
- Department of psychiatry, V S Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
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Tagay S, Senf W, Schöpper N, Mewes R, Bockisch A, Görges R. [Protective factors for anxiety and depression in thyroid cancer patients]. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PSYCHOSOMATISCHE MEDIZIN UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2007; 53:62-74. [PMID: 17311732 DOI: 10.13109/zptm.2007.53.1.62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Depression and anxiety are the most common mental symptoms in patients with thyroid cancer (DTC) and have an important influence on the quality of life. The aim of the current study was to identify protective factors of depression and anxiety in DTC patients. METHODS In a cross-sectional study 230 DTC patients were examined with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13) and the Questionnaire of Social Support (F-SOZU). RESULTS Depression correlated highly significantly with anxiety (r = .633, p = 0,001). Social support and sense of coherence correlated highly significantly negative with depression as well as with anxiety (both p < or = 0,001). Although still significant, the correlation between age and anxiety was lower (r = -.19; p < or = 0,005). The TSH level as an indicator of hypothyreodism did not correlate with depression or with anxiety on a significant statistical level. Furthermore, variables such as education, religiosity and elapsed time interval since initial diagnosis were not correlated with depression and anxiety. DISCUSSION Our results support the thesis that low social support and low sense of coherence enhance vulnerability to depressive and anxiety symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sefik Tagay
- Klinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Rheinische Kliniken/Universitätsklinik Duisburg-Essen.
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Abstract
Hypothyroidism is a common condition presenting a challenge to emergency physicians in diagnosing the underlying etiology of vague complaints. Making the diagnosis of a critically ill patient in myxedema coma allows early treatment with appropriate thyroid hormone replacement and avoids higher patient mortality. To do this, the emergency physician must maintain a high degree of clinical suspicion for thyroid disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Tews
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Michigan State University-Lansing, P.O. Box 30480, Lansing, MI 48909, USA
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Heinrich TW, Grahm G. Hypothyroidism Presenting as Psychosis: Myxedema Madness Revisited. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2003; 5:260-266. [PMID: 15213796 PMCID: PMC419396 DOI: 10.4088/pcc.v05n0603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2003] [Accepted: 12/03/2003] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypothyroidism is a medical condition commonly encountered in a variety of clinical settings. The clinical presentations of thyroid hormone deficiency are diverse, complicated, and often overlooked. Hypothyroidism is a potential etiology for multiple somatic complaints and a variety of psychological disturbances. The physical complaints are primarily related to metabolic slowing secondary to lack of thyroid hormone. Psychiatric presentations include cognitive dysfunction, affective disorders, and psychosis. The realization that hypothyroidism might be the potential etiology of an assortment of symptoms is critical in the identification and treatment of the hypothyroid patient. Once hypothyroidism is identified, symptoms usually respond to appropriate thyroid hormone supplementation. This article presents a case of clinical hypothyroidism that came to clinical attention due to psychotic symptoms consisting of auditory and visual hallucinations. The case is followed by a brief discussion of the literature describing the relationship of hypothyroidism and psychiatric symptomatology. References were identified with an English language-based MEDLINE search (1966-2003) using the terms thyroid, hypothyroid, depression, dementia, delirium, mania, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and myxedema and utilization of referenced articles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Heinrich
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and the Department of Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
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Abstract
Abnormal thyroid function tests are common for older adults, but the clinical significance of abnormal results and the need for treatment vary. Nonthyroidal illness (eg, low T3 and T4 syndromes) needs to be ruled out before making the diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Overt hypothyroidism and myxedema coma always require treatment, but treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism is not as clear. The purpose of this review article is to summarize existing data in the elderly population on the etiology, diagnosis, and management of overt hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsui-Ming Li
- Genesis ElderCare Physician Services, Maryland, USA
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