Primary hypothyroidism is a chronic and insidious disease caused by failure of thyroid hormone production. We observed a 38-year-old woman admitted to our hospital due to progressive proximal weakness, muscle pain and fatigue during mild exercise. Laboratory tests showed features of rhabdomyolysis and hypothyroidism. After examination of the thyroid, we reached a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and hypothyroid myopathy. Hypothyroidism should be considered as a differential diagnosis of creatine kinase elevation; actually, neuromuscular symptoms and signs occur in most newly diagnosed patients with thyroid diseases. Hypothyroidism presenting as muscle stiffness and pseudohypertrophy is called ‘Hoffman’s syndrome’.
The multiple endocrine neoplasia (M.E.N.) syndromes consist of a group of proliferative disorders that selectively target specific sets of endocrine and soft tissue cells. Here we report a case of lymphangioleiomyoma of the lung in a patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia Type I (M.E.N. I). This is the first time such an association has been reported. In our opinion it could possibly be ascribed to the genetic predisposition to proliferative disorders of patients with M.E.N. syndromes.
Gastrin levels have been reported to be often increased in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) considered to be caused by hypercalcemia. To determine the prevalence of increased basal gastrin and to investigate its causes, 52 consecutive patients with PHPT were studied prospectively, undergoing a clinical, biochemical, and gastric morphofunctional assessment before any parathyroid surgical procedure. This included evaluation of basal and secretin-stimulated gastrin, basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, with histological evaluation for gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection. Twenty of the 52 PHPT patients (38.5%) had increased fasting gastrin. Further investigation allowed us to clearly demonstrate the causes of hypergastrinemia in 16 of these 20 patients. In 7 of 20 (35%), hypergastrinemia was caused by gastric fundus atrophy; in 3 patients (15%), Zollinger-Ellison syndrome with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type I was diagnosed; whereas in another 20% of patients, mild hypergastrinemia was ascribed to Helicobacter pylori gastritis. Finally, in 2 patients, additional clinical history revealed an occasional use of the gastric antisecretory drug omeprazole a few days before the serum gastrin determination. This study shows that the hypercalcemic status per se is not sufficient to produce an increase in fasting gastrin levels. Furthermore, gastric fundus atrophy, and not gastrinoma, is the major cause of relevant (>160 pg/mL) hypergastrinemia.
We evaluated serum albumin at time of admission, within 72 hours, in 135 geriatric patients who were older than 70 years to establish its role as a predictor of death and clinical outcome at time of discharge. Serum albumin values were reduced significantly in patients who died compared with those who were discharged in unchanged/impaired and improved conditions (3.01 +/- 0.68 g/dL, 3.18 +/- 0.55 g/dL, and 3.65 +/- 0.52 g/dL respectively, P < 0.0001). A correlation between serum albumin concentration at admission and number of days elapsed from admission and death was found (r = 0.43, P < 0.05). Mortality rate was 38.6% in patients with serum albumin values < 3.3 g/dL compared with 14.1% in those with albumin values > or = 3.3 g/dL (P < 0.005). Similar results were obtained even when the main diagnostic conditions, such as cardiocerebrovascular disease and cancer, were considered. The results demonstrate that in geriatric patients the serum albumin level at admission may be a predictor of mortality and clinical outcome at discharge.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.