Mumps Myxœdema

[helvella]

An interesting snippet about a possible causative factor for thyroiditis.

Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine

Page 379/380

Mumps Myxœdema.—J. J. BROWN, M.R.C.P. (for Professor W. S. PEART, F.R.C.P.).

Mrs. J. L. , aged 35.

In July 1958 two of the patient's children developed fever and bilateral parotid swellings, diagnosed as mumps. In August 1958 the patient also developed swelling in both parotid regions. In addition, she complained of a tender lump in the mid-line of the neck anteriorly (in the region of the thyroid gland), which was painful while swallowing. The lump subsided within two to three weeks, but during the autumn 1958, she noticed increasing tiredness, intolerance to cold, slowness of thought and movement, hoarse voice, dry skin, puffiness of her face and increase in weight.

On examination (January 1959) the salient features were a puffy face, dry skin and an impalpable thyroid gland. Myxoedema was diagnosed.

Investigations.—1311-neck uptake 10% at twenty-four hours. No response to T.S.H. Thyroid auto-antibodies (Dr. D. Doniach) : Tanned cell agglutination positive 1/2,500; thyroid complement-fixation and precipitin test negative.

Mumps complement-fixation test was positive in a titre of 1/32, i.e. diagnostic of mumps within the previous twelve months (Dr. C. E. D. Taylor).

Thyroid biopsy: Disorganization of normal pattern with increase of fibrous tissue and infiltration with plasma cells and lymphocytes. Culture of this biopsy failed to grow mumps virus.

Treatment.—Tri-iodo-thyronine followed by maintenance with tabs. thyroid with complete disappearance of all symptoms.

It is postulated that the mumps virus invaded the thyroid gland producing subacute thyroiditis and that myxoedema followed progressive destruction of the gland as a result of autoantibody mechanisms.

Eylan et al. (1957) cultured the mumps virus from thyroid gland biopsies taken during the febrile stage of subacute thyroiditis, but none of their cases progressed to myxœdema.

REFERENCE

EYLAN, E., ZMUCKY, R. , and SHEBA, CH. (1957) Lancet, i, 1062.

web.archive.org/web/2020020...

The Lancet's own site has next to nothing that is accessible:

ORIGINAL ARTICLES| Volume 269, ISSUE 6978, P1062-1063, May 25, 1957

MUMPS VIRUS AND SUBACUTE THYROIDITIS

EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL ASSOCIATION

E. Eylan, M.D., Ph.D.

R. Zmucky

CH. Sheba, M.D.

Published:May 25, 1957 DOI:doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(...

thelancet.com/journals/lanc...

[HashiFedUp]

I had mumps when i was 17. Is this why i have hashimoto’s now perhaps?! Anyone else have mumps??

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to HashiFedUp]

On the one hand, I think it is very unlikely to be the case that everyone who ever had mumps ends up with Hashimoto's. But on the other hand, we know next to nothing about why each individual does go on to develop Hashimoto's. This seems to be one perfectly reasonable possible cause in some cases.

[crimple]

I had mumps when I was about 8 years old, both sides affected. I remember it was very painful. I developed hypothyroid when I was in my fifties and tested positive for TPO about 5 years later. Interesting report.

[Miffie]

Another interesting piece helvella . I was told my hypothyroidism was due to radiation treatment of a birthmark in the early 1950s. I never have known how that was determined as I was a child when diagnosed and in those days no one ever really involved chitin discussions with a GP. I did have mumps, or rather one mump as only one side was affected. I was about seven or eight at that time. (1958/59).

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

A more recent review type paper - freely accessible:

Virol J . 2009 Jan 12;6:5.

doi: 10.1186/1743-422X-6-5

Viruses and thyroiditis: an update

Rachel Desailloud 1 , Didier Hober

Affiliations

• PMID: 19138419

• PMCID: PMC2654877

• DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-6-5

Free PMC article

Abstract

Viral infections are frequently cited as a major environmental factor involved in subacute thyroiditis and autoimmune thyroid diseases This review examines the data related to the role of viruses in the development of thyroiditis. Our research has been focused on human data. We have reviewed virological data for each type of thyroiditis at different levels of evidence; epidemiological data, serological data or research on circulating viruses, direct evidence of thyroid tissue infection. Interpretation of epidemiological and serological data must be cautious as they don't prove that this pathogen is responsible for the disease. However, direct evidence of the presence of viruses or their components in the organ are available for retroviruses (HFV) and mumps in subacute thyroiditis, for retroviruses (HTLV-1, HFV, HIV and SV40) in Graves's disease and for HTLV-1, enterovirus, rubella, mumps virus, HSV, EBV and parvovirus in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. However, it remains to determine whether they are responsible for thyroid diseases or whether they are just innocent bystanders. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between viruses and thyroid diseases, in order to develop new strategies for prevention and/or treatment.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/191...