Emergency surgery complicated by thyrotoxicosis and thyrotoxic periodic paralysis.

A general anaesthetic was administered for emergency surgery to a patient with a bleeding gastric ulcer in the presence of undiagnosed thyrotoxicosis. The case is presented to illustrate firstly how hyperthyroidism may be masked by other acute illnesses, and secondly an unusual complication of thyrotoxicosis. The anaesthetic management of thyrotoxic patients undergoing incidental emergency surgery is discussed.