Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Primary Hypothyroidism Leading to Massive Pericardial Effusion and Diastolic Right Ventricular Compression: a Case Report

  • Medicine
  • Published:
SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although hypothyroidism with primary etiology could cause small pericardial effusion, massive one leading to cardiac tamponade and ventricular diastolic compression is rare and less reported in the literature. Here we described a patient with severe primary hypothyroidism leading to pericardial effusion and right ventricular compression. A 56-year-old diabetic man referred to the emergency department complaining of dyspnea worsening over the prior month. Further evaluations including electrocardiography, chest X-ray, and echocardiography plus laboratory data were requested. Para-clinic data revealed massive pericardial effusion in the presence of primary hypothyroidism. Pericardiocentesis was performed due to his severe symptoms which symptoms improvement were considerably achieved. Despite its rareness, hypothyroidism should be kept in mind whenever evaluating patients with massive pericardial effusion, especially after exclusion of other more common etiologies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. Spodick DH. Acute pericarditis: current concepts and practice. Jama. 2003;289(9):1150–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kabadi UM, Kumar SP. Pericardial effusion in primary hypothyroidism. Am Heart J. 1990;120(6):1393–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Manolis AS, Varriale P, Ostrowski RM. Hypothyroid cardiac tamponade. Arch Intern Med. 1987;147(6):1167–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Parving H-H, Hansen JM, Nielsen SL, Rossing N, Munck O, Lassen NA. Mechanisms of edema formation in myxedema—increased protein extravasation and relatively slow lymphatic drainage. N Engl J Med. 1979;301(9):460–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Danzi S, Klein I. Thyroid hormone and the cardiovascular system. Minerva Endocrinol. 2004;29(3):139–50.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Dattilo G, Crosca S, Tavella S, Marte F, Patanè S. Pericardial effusion associated with subclinical hypothyroidism. Int J Cardiol. 2011;153(3):e47–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Zimmerman J, Yahalom J, Bar-On H. Clinical spectrum of pericardial effusion as the presenting feature of hypothyroidism. Am Heart J. 1983;106(4 Pt 1):770–1.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Meyers DG, Bagin RG, Levene JF. Electrocardiographic changes in pericardial effusion. Chest. 1993;104(5):1422–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Spodick DH. Acute cardiac tamponade. N Engl J Med. 2003;349(7):684–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Sainz AJ, Encinar JCB, Torregrosa IQ, de Teresa Parreño L. Taponamiento pericárdico como forma inicial de presentación de hipotiroidismo primario. Rev Esp Cardiol. 2000;53(1):145–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Sagristà-Sauleda J, Mercé J, Permanyer-Miralda G, Soler-Soler J. Clinical clues to the causes of large pericardial effusions. Am J Med. 2000;109(2):95–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Rachid A, Caum LC, Trentini AP, Fischer CA, Antonelli DA, Hagemann RP. Pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade as a form of presentation of primary hypothyroidism. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2002;78(6):583–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sayed Ali Emami.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and accompanying images.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Medicine

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bahrani, S., Emami, S.A., Vakhshoori, M. et al. Primary Hypothyroidism Leading to Massive Pericardial Effusion and Diastolic Right Ventricular Compression: a Case Report. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 1, 924–927 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-019-00110-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-019-00110-4

Keywords

Navigation