Pretibial Myxedema

[Adara13]

Hi to all of you.

As the heading states I have swollen feet and ankles my big toe is huge. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease and am now hypothyroid all of this happened 10 to 12 years ago! Dermatology have referred me to see a Plastic Surgeon with a view to maybe operating. Does anyone have any experience at all of this or any advice they could pass on.

I have been told by Dermatology that this is rare and will not get worse but I fear they may be wrong. I also have clubbing of the hands.

Any advice or feedback would be great.

Thanks

[Clutter]

Adara13, Thyroid dermopathy is an extreme and relatively uncommon manifestation of autoimmune disease, usually Graves, but sometimes Hashimoto's too.

Pretibial myxoedema - due to accumulation of glycosaminoglycans. This is but one form of dermopathy and occurs in about 40% of patients with Graves' disease. It causes non-pitting pink/purple plaques of oedema just above the lateral malleolus. Thyroid dermopathy can occur anywhere, particularly in sites of trauma. <5% have pretibial myxoedema called thyroid dermopathy (as can occur anywhere, particularly following trauma). This is usually associated with moderate to severe ophthalmopathy. Thyroid dermopathy usually appears as non-pitting plaques with pink/purple colour. There are also nodular and generalised forms.

Thyroid acropachy is a type of dermopathy affecting the hands and causes clubbing with painful swelling of digits.

patient.info/doctor/hyperth...

No specific treatment for acropachy of thyroid disease is available, other than systemic immunosuppressive therapy and local corticosteroid therapy. These treatments usually are directed at associated ophthalmopathy and dermopathy.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

press.endocrine.org/doi/ful...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/162...

[Adara13 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks Clutter!