The coexistence of hypercalcemia, osteoporosis and thymic enlargement in graves' disease: a case report

Hyperthyroidism-induced hypercalcemia has been reported previously, but hypercalcemia accompanied by severe osteoporosis and significant thymic enlargement in patients with hyperthyroidism is quite rare. We report the coexistence of hypercalcemia, osteoporosis and thymic enlargement in a patient wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC endocrine disorders 2020-06, Vol.20 (1), p.97-97, Article 97
Main Authors: Yan, Dandan, Xu, Yanjun, Li, Lian-Xi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Bone mineral density
Calcium
Calcium (blood)
Case Report
Case reports
CAT scans
Coexistence
Diagnosis
Diagnostic imaging
Disease
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
Enlargement
Female
Graves Disease - physiopathology
Graves' disease
Hormones
Humans
Hypercalcemia
Hypercalcemia - complications
Hypercalcemia - pathology
Hyperplasia
Hyperthyroidism
Laboratories
Liver
Metabolism
Methimazole
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis - complications
Osteoporosis - pathology
Parathyroid
Parathyroid hormone
Patients
Phosphorus
Prognosis
Scintigraphy
Thymic enlargement
Thymus
Thymus gland
Thymus Hyperplasia - complications
Thymus Hyperplasia - pathology
Thyroid diseases
Thyroid gland
Young Adult
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Summary:Hyperthyroidism-induced hypercalcemia has been reported previously, but hypercalcemia accompanied by severe osteoporosis and significant thymic enlargement in patients with hyperthyroidism is quite rare. We report the coexistence of hypercalcemia, osteoporosis and thymic enlargement in a patient with Graves' disease. A 22-year-old female was diagnosed as Graves' disease with obviously elevated serum calcium and reduced parathyroid hormone levels. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and chest enhanced computer tomography (CT) revealed severe osteoporosis and a significant enlargement of thymus. After the successful control of hyperthyroidism with methimazole, hypercalcemia was corrected, bone mineral density was improved and thymus also shrank obviously. This is a very rare case of hypercalcemia accompanied by severe osteoporosis and significant thymic enlargement induced by Graves' disease. In clinical practice, examination of thymus and bone density should be considered when a patient with Graves' disease was present with hypercalcemia.
ISSN:1472-6823
1472-6823
DOI:10.1186/s12902-020-00583-8