Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine

Case Report: J Korean Acad Rehabil Med. 2004;28(4):392-395.; Induced Life-Threatening Electrolyte Imbalance in Sub-clinical Hyperthyroidism -A case report-.; Kim, Jong Moon , Lee, Jeong Mo , Kim, Seok Ju , Kho, Sung Eun , Chung, Jin Sang , Bang, Heui Je; ¹Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Korea. ljmgooddc@yahoo.co.kr
²Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Korea.

Abstract: Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is rare in white Caucasian but a few in Asian. A 36-year-old man presented with suddenly developed paraparesis was brought by ambulance. He got some medications and injection for the upper respiratory infection in the morning of admission day. On admission he revealed bilateral proximal muscle weakness without pain. He didn't have any specific medical history of himself and his family. The laboratory results on admission revealed severe hypokalemia (2.1 mM/l). Potassiumreplacement was immediately started and his symptom was gone. We found TSH was extremely decreased (＜0.005μIU/ ml) but T3 and T4 were within normal level. We guess TPP was induced by some drugs to the patient with sub-clinical hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is not always clinically apparent and then may be easily missed. However just a single medication or injection that is usually prescribed can induce critical progressive hypokalemia. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2004; 28: 392-395)

Keywords :Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis, Subclinical hyperthyroidism, Hypokalemia