Myxedema Coma Induced by Ingestion of Raw Bok Choy

To the Editor: An 88-year-old Chinese woman was brought to the emergency department by her family, who reported that she had been lethargic and unable to walk or swallow for 3 days. She had been eating an estimated 1.0 to 1.5 kg of raw bok choy daily for several months in the belief that it would help control her diabetes. She had no previous history of thyroid disease. On examination the patient was lethargic. The temperature was 36.1°C, the pulse 58 beats per minute, blood pressure 181/89 mm Hg, and the respiratory rate 22 breaths per minute. A pulse oximetry . . .