A Case of Thyrotoxicosis in Metastasizing Thyroid Carcinoma

Abstract

A case of thyrotoxicosis in a patient bearing a thyroid carcinoma with lymph node and bone metastases is described. The I131 uptake of the thyroid was notably low (8 % at 24 hours) and was not modified by TSH. Some of the bone metastases showed a high I131 uptake; the PBI was elevated. In this case, the pathogenesis of the thyrotoxicosis is not explained by the common hypotheses; the authors suggest that it might be explained with a reduced metabolisation of the thyroid hormones.