CLINICAL CASES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2004 December;163(6):279-80

Copyright © 2004 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Anemia due to hypothyroidism with atypical course in an aids patients. A case report

Bertuccio S. N. ¹, Calzone R. ¹, Pellicanò S. ², Bertuccio A. ¹, Del Giudice A. C. ¹, Rombolà F. ¹

¹ Divisione di Malattie Infettive, O spedale “G.Jazzolino”, A.S.L. n. 8, Vibo Valentia; ² Divisione di Malattie Infettive, Ospedale “S.Giovanni di Dio”, A.S.L. n. 5, Crotone

Hematologic alterations during AIDS infection are very frequent and have a multifactorial etiology. Anemia affects the quality and sometimes the duration of the patient’s life. An atypical case of anemia due to hypothyroidism, in a patient with AIDS, is described. . The case is atypical due to the seriousness of anemia since, usually, the thyroid hormone deficiency leads to a slight-moderate anemia. The low levels of hemoglobin are due to the long duration of hypothyroidism or to the concomitant hyperhemolysis or to the folates and vitamin B12 deficiency. Therefore, in cases of anemia with uncertain origin the presence of hypothyroidism is to be considered.