CASE REPORTS   

Panminerva Medica 2008 September;50(3):255-7

Copyright © 2008 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome patient: casual association or related diseases?

Scagliusi P. ¹, Sisto M. ², Lisi S. ², Lazzari A. ¹, D’Amore M. ¹

¹ Department of Internal Medicine and Public Medicine Section of Rheumatology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy 2 Department of Human Anatomy and Histology University of Bari, Bari, Italy

Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome (MRS) is a rare disorder of unknown etiology. MRS is classically defined as a triad of recurrent orofacial edema, relapsing paralysis of the facial nerve, and fissured tongue. The authors present the case of a 52-year-old woman with orofacial swelling and facial pain attacks. The patient reported to suffer of hypothyroidism and laboratory findings disclosed free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyrotropin (TSH) altered. Endocrinological consult led to the diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Antithyroper-oxidase antibodies (anti-TPO) were highly elevated and thyroid function tests had evidenced a clinically significant hypothyroidism. A link between MRS and immunological disorders such as sarcoidosis, Crohn’s disease, unilateral anterior uveitis and multiple sclerosis was documented. The literature did not report any association between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. The presence of the anti-TPO antibodies in the case reported here could suggest a possible correlation between immunological alteration characteristic of autoimmune thyroiditis and MRS.