Endocrine Abstracts

A 42-year-old gentleman of Ghanaian origin presented with a 1 month history of worsening severe proximal myopathy. On presentation his symptoms had progressed to the extent that he was unable to mobilise from his bed. Prior to this illness he had been fit and well. Examination revealed severe proximal myopathy and a uniformly enlarged, smooth thyroid gland. There was no clinical evidence of hyperthyroidism.

Blood tests on admission showed a serum potassium level of 2.1 mmol/l, TSH <0.05 mU/l, FT₃ 20.3 pmol/l, FT₄ 35.0 pmol/l. TSH receptor antibodies were strongly positive at 24.5 μ/ml. A diagnosis of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) was made. Within 3 h of commencing intravenous potassium replacement the proximal myopathy resolved entirely.

Following an overnight stay in hospital he was discharged on a combination of Carbimazole 40 mg once daily and Propanolol 40 mg tds. His serum potassium level at discharge was 4.4 nmol/l and remained normal at 6 weeks follow up without additional potassium supplementation. Following normalisation of his thyroid hormone levels he had no further episodes of paralysis.

TPP is a rare, but potentially life-threatening complication of hyperthyroidism due to a sudden intracellular shift of potassium. The electrolyte shift is most probably due to an increased activity of the sodium–potassium adenosine triphosphatase pump (Na/K-ATPase) either directly by the thyroid hormones or indirectly via adrenergic stimulation¹. It appears likely that TPP patients have a genetic predisposition to activation of the Na/K-ATPase genes². TTP is predominantly seen in patients of Asian descent^3,4. Here we present a rare example of an Afro-Caribbean man developing hypokalaemic periodic paralysis in the context of Graves’ thyrotoxicosis.

1. Chan A et al. 1991 BMJ 303 1096–1099.

2. Kung A 2006 JCEM 91(7) 2490–2495.

3. McFadzean AJS, Yeung R 1967 BMJ 1 451–455.

4. Okinaka S et al. 1957 JCEM 17 1454–1459.

Serum potassium and free thyroxine levels during admission and at 6 weeks follow up.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.