April - June 2013, Volume 9, Issue 2

Bumbea H, Badiu C., Dobrescu R., Vladareanu A

Resolution of Hyperthyroidism During Immunotherapy in Myelodysplasia Associated with Graves’ Disease

Acta Endo (Buc) 2013, 9 (2): 289-294
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2013.289

We report the case of a 24 years old male, diagnosed with severe pancytopenia, possibly myelodysplastic syndrome with ringed sideroblasts associated with immune thrombocytopenia, who presented with hyperthyroidism due to Graves’ disease. Standard antithyroid drugs were postponed for fear of exacerbation of cytopenia. Instead, steroid and immunoglobulin therapy gradually induced euthyroidism which was followed by correction of the hematological abnormalities. We review in this paper literature reports that discuss the association of thyrotoxicosis with pancytopenia, with reversibility of both the hematological and endocrine autoimmune picture after immunosuppressive treatment.

Keywords: thyrotoxicosis, myelodysplasia, immunotherapy, pancytopenia, corticosteroid.

Correspondence: Corin Badiu MD, PhD, National Institute of Endocrinology, Thyroid Related Disorders, Aviatorilor 34-36, Bucharest, 011863, Romania, E-mail: badicrin@yahoo.co.uk