Myxedema coma is a state of decompensated hypothyroidism . A person may have lab values identical to a "normal" hypothyroid state, but a stressful event (such as an infection, myocardial infarction or stroke ) precipitates the myxedema coma state, usually in the elderly. Primary symptoms of myxedema coma are altered mental status and low body temperature . Low blood sugar , low blood pressure , hyponatremia , hypercapnia , hypoxia, slowed heart rate , and hypoventilation may also occur.[1] Myxedema , although included in the name, is not necessarily seen in myxedema coma.[citation needed
According to newer theories myxedema coma could result from allostatic overload in a situation where the effects of hypothyroidism are amplified by non-thyroidal illness syndrome .[2]
References [ edit ]
^ Berghe, edited by Greet van den; Wartofsky, Leonard (2008). Acute endocrinology : from cause to consequence (1 ed.). New York: Humana Press. pp. 29–44. ISBN 978-1-60327-176-9 . CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list (link ) ^ Chatzitomaris, Apostolos; Hoermann, Rudolf; Midgley, John E.; Hering, Steffen; Urban, Aline; Dietrich, Barbara; Abood, Assjana; Klein, Harald H.; Dietrich, Johannes W. (20 July 2017). "Thyroid Allostasis–Adaptive Responses of Thyrotropic Feedback Control to Conditions of Strain, Stress, and Developmental Programming" . Frontiers in Endocrinology . 8 . doi :10.3389/fendo.2017.00163 . PMC 5517413 PMID 28775711 .
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