Shortness of Breath and Lower Limb Edema in a 54-Year-Old Woman, Is There Any Cure?

INTRODUCTION

Pulmonary hypertension is common among patients with hyperthyroidism, and Graves' disease constitutes the most common cause of thyrotoxicosis.

CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a female patient admitted to the cardiology department with shortness of breath and pretibial myxedema. The diagnostic work-up revealed combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension due to Graves' disease superimposed on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Restoration of thyroid function led to normalization of the pulmonary pressure and symptom resolution.

CONCLUSIONS

Thyroid disease is a cause of reversible pulmonary hypertension and thus should be appropriately considered in the diagnostic algorithm in patients with dyspnea, clinical signs of hyperthyroidism and elevated pulmonary pressure.