TITLE:
Graves’ Disease and Down Syndrome: Case Report
AUTHORS:
Fábio Ferreira do Espírito Santo, Denise Rosso Tenório Wanderley Rocha, Alberto Krayyem Arbex
KEYWORDS:
Down Syndrome, Graves’ Disease, Alopecia Areata, Methimazole, Thyroid Gland
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
14,
2016
ABSTRACT: Down syndrome (DS) is the
most common chromosomal abnormality in humans, and the most frequent cause of
mental retardation. Patients affected by this syndrome show an increased
prevalence of autoimmune diseases. The most common of those is Hypothyroidism.
We present a case report describing the association of Down syndrome with
Hyperthyroidism. An 18-year-old patient presented with a history of recurrent
throat infections and intermittent diarrhea, having developed a totalalopecia areatawithin one month from the first
visit to the physician. After consultations with general practitioners, he was
directed to an Endocrinology Ambulatory and diagnosed with a clear case of
Graves’ disease associated with Down syndrome. Treatment was started with
methimazole 20 mg/day, and after two months, was adjusted to 40 mg/day. The
patient reached adequate clinical and laboratory balance after five months of
treatment. Thus, the association between Down syndrome and Graves’ Disease is
relevant in medical practice, due to its specific characteristics on diagnosis,
and the need of an adequate treatment regarding this disease association.