Coma and thyroid storm in apathetic thyrotoxicosis

Abstract

We report the case of an 87-year-old woman with coma who was found to be in thyrotoxic crisis. The patient had a recent history of decreased mentation and apathy, and laboratory findings were found to be consistent with hyperthyroidism. After a stormy course, the clinical condition recovered to baseline, with return of laboratory values to normal following antithyroid therapy. We provide the details of this rarely documented presentation of apathetic hyperthyroidism with thyroid storm and coma and review the characteristics of similar cases in the literature.