Myxedema

The clinical picture of myxedema can also develop hyperthyroidism in the course of Graves' disease as pretibial myxedema at around 10% of patients during the course of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) but. The skin (plus subcutaneous and adipose tissue ) is in this case typically doughy swollen, cool, dry and rough, especially on the extremities and face. Patients look bloated. The severe form is the Myxoedema coma.

Localized pretibial myxedema may also be at an immunogenic hyperthyroidism, ie, in Graves' disease occur.

It is a generalized deposition of glycosaminoglycans ( mucopolysaccharides also called ) in the intercellular space due to reduced degradation. Unlike other edematous changes of the skin no dents remain in myxedema after pressure back ( strong evidence of differential diagnosis of edema ).

In healthy high concentrations of glycosaminoglycans are particularly noted in cartilage. These molecules are negatively polarized and hence binding water molecules, which introduces the cartilage its elasticity and compressive strength.

The term " myxedema " ( American " myxedema ", British " myxedema " ) goes back to the Scottish physician William Miller Ord ( 1834-1902 ), who was the first in autopsies of patients noted a fibrosis of the thyroid tissue in 1877 and those with typical symptoms after named him Ord 's thyroiditis (today better known as Hashimoto 's thyroiditis ) and the consequent hypothyroidism in conjunction brought.

  • Disease in endocrinology
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