Stroke in a Young Man Secondary to Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation and Thyrotoxicosis: A Case Report

• Main Authors: Rodrigo Bazan, Thiago Dias Fernandes, Gláucia Maria Ferreira da Silva Mazeto, Mariângela Esther Alencar Marques, Gabriel Pereira Braga, Gustavo José Luvizutto, Silméia Garcia Zanati Bazan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Karger Publishers 2017-10-01
• Series: Case Reports in Neurology
• Subjects: Thyrotoxicosis; Total thyroidectomy; Stroke; Atrial fibrillation
• Online Access: https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/479730

We report a case of a male patient with stroke caused by atrial fibrillation (AF) due to thyrotoxicosis. At hospital admission, he presented hypertension and AF. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a right-side ischemic area. The thyrotoxicosis was confirmed by thyroid function and thyroid scintigraphy that showed goiter with diffuse hypercaptation. The patient was treated with tapazole and total thyroidectomy, and pathological findings suggested Graves’ disease. Hyperthyroidism is associated with increased supraventricular ectopic activity in patients with a normal heart, and may be an important causal link between hyperthyroidism and AF. The patient experienced significant clinical improvement, but presented long-term neuropsychiatric disorders.