Shortness of Breath and Lower Limb Edema in a 54-Year-Old Woman, Is There Any Cure?

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary hypertension is common among patients with hyperthyroidism, and Graves' disease constitutes the most common cause of thyrotoxicosis.

CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a female patient admitted to the cardiology department with shortness of breath and pretibial myxedema. The diagnostic work-up revealed combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension due to Graves' disease superimposed on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Restoration of thyroid function led to normalization of the pulmonary pressure and symptom resolution.

CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid disease is a cause of reversible pulmonary hypertension and thus should be appropriately considered in the diagnostic algorithm in patients with dyspnea, clinical signs of hyperthyroidism and elevated pulmonary pressure.