Graves' disease is a rare but possible etiology for bloody pericardial effusion that resolves with antithyroid treatment.
May warrant thyroid evaluation in unexplained pericardial effusion; hypothesis-generating case leaves causal role of antithyroid therapy open.
A hyperthyroid patient with bloody pericardial effusion is presented. He was hospitalized for severe dyspnea. Pericardiocentesis yielded 1.2 liters of bloody fluid. Biochemical, cytologic, and radiologic examinations failed to identify the etiology of the effusion. Upon normalization of thyroid function using antithyroid drugs, the pericardial effusion resolved without recurrence. The patient was diagnosed as Graves' disease, which rarely is complicated by bloody pericardial effusion. As it is rarely reported and not widely known, this association may be underdiagnosed.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Nakata et al. (2005) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: