Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) is a condition where thyroid makes and releases high levels of thyroid hormone (thyroxine) in the blood. This condition can speed up our body metabolism. Hyperthyroidism causes an overactivity of the sympathetic system. It also this sympathetic hyperstimulation in the gut leads to increased motility causing diarrhea, malabsorbation and consequently weight loss.

Objective: To describe a patient with hyperfunxional nodular goiter and diarrhea as the only symptoms, for which Unimazole (ATS), was found to be effective therapy for the diarrhea.

Methods: We present the clinical course of a old woman with a prolonged diarrhea which with all diagnostic procedures and medication given did not improve until it was thought to be an endocrine cause. Unimazole control of such cases of hyperthyroidism with diarrhea can be explained by the effect of this drug in reducing intestinal hypermotility as the basis of physiopathology in hyperthyroidism.

Results: A 73-year-old woman, has not previously had gastrointestinal disorders, had prolonged diarrhea, which associated with loss of 3 kg during a 1-month period. Laboratory, ultrasound images, recommended by the infectious disease doctor could not detect the cause of this prolonged diarrhea. Despite antibiotic treatment and antidiarrheal treatment, diarrhea did not stop. Other hyperthyroidism symptoms were not reported, but when hyperthyroidism was identified, the diarrhea was dominated and very well controlled by treatment with unimazole.

Conclusion: Thyroid hormone in excess, among its other possible effects in the organism, affect the gastrointestinal tract through sympathetic intestinal hyperstimulation and increased motility causing diarrhea. Antithyroid therapy act by blocking sympathetic hyperstimulation. Our case leads us to think that hyperthyroidism should be considered in the differential diagnosis of diarrhea of unknown cause.

Keywords diarrhea, unimazole, hyperthyroidism.: