A 46-Year-Old Woman With Dyspnea From an Inhalational Exposure, Triggering Thyroid Storm and Subsequent Multi-Organ System Failure.

BACKGROUND

Thyroid storm is a rare, life-threatening condition which arises in patients with thyrotoxicosis, with an annual incidence of 2 patients per 1,000,000 and a mortality rate of 11%.

CASE: We present the case of a 46-year-old-female with a medical history of controlled mild intermittent asthma, who presented with a severe asthma exacerbation, that triggered thyroid storm after exposure to polyurethane fumes.

CONCLUSION

This patient represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first patient in whom the stress related to a severe asthma attack triggered the development of thyroid storm. She also is the first patient with no indication of cardiac dysfunction who developed fatal cardiac arrest after initiation of b-blockade for treatment of thyroid storm.