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Treatment‐resistant elephantiasic thyroid dermopathy responding to rituximab and plasmapheresis
Author(s) -
Heyes Christopher,
Nolan Richard,
Leahy Michael,
Gebauer Kurt
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
australasian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.67
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1440-0960
pISSN - 0004-8380
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-0960.2010.00693.x
Subject(s) - medicine , rituximab , plasmapheresis , thyroid , dermatology , graves' disease , surgery , pathology , antibody , immunology , lymphoma
A 44‐year‐old woman was diagnosed with Graves' disease in 1995 and over the following 12 months developed thyroid dermopathy (pretibial myxoedema). Despite being trialled on multiple recognized therapies over the course of 11 years, the patient's dermopathy progressively worsened. She developed ocular proptosis, elephantiasic thyroid dermopathy and acropachy in both hands. In mid 2006, the patient was started on rituximab and plasmapheresis, with rapid response. The patient's condition stabilized and in October 2009 at the age of 58 years she was able to cease therapy.