Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis with Thyroid Storm as the First Presentation of Graves’ disease; a Case Report

Abstract

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is a rare endocrine emergency that manifests as acute onset muscle weakness and hypokalaemia secondary to thyrotoxicosis. It mainly occurs due to rapid and dramatic intracellular shift of potassium resulting in hypokalaemia and acute flaccid paralysis. This condition predominantly affects males of Asian descent, and presentation can range from mild generalized weakness to complete quadriplegia, as seen in our case. We herein report a case of a 40-year-old female, who presented to us with acute onset flaccid quadriplegia and thyroid storm, which is the first ever manifestation of previously undiagnosed Grave’s disease. Liver abscess was found to be the underlying trigger for thyrotoxic paralysis and thyroid storm.

Keywords

• Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis
• Thyrotoxicosis
• Graves disease
• Quadriplegia
• Thyroid Crisis