Diagnosis and Treatment > Medication > Benzodiazepines
You are looking at 1 - 4 of 4 items
Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
Search for other papers by Sebastian Hörber in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Sarah Hudak in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Martin Kächele in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Dietrich Overkamp in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
Search for other papers by Andreas Fritsche in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
Search for other papers by Hans-Ulrich Häring in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
Search for other papers by Andreas Peter in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
Search for other papers by Martin Heni in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus. It usually occurs in patients with type 1 diabetes where it is typically associated with only moderately increased blood glucose. Here, we report the case of a 52-year-old female patient who was admitted to the emergency unit with severely altered mental status but stable vital signs. Laboratory results on admission revealed very high blood glucose (1687 mg/dL/93.6 mmol/L) and severe acidosis (pH <7) with proof of ketone bodies in serum and urine. Past history revealed a paranoid schizophrenia diagnosed 10 years ago and for which the patient was treated with risperidone for many years. Acute treatment with intravenous fluids, intravenous insulin infusion and sodium bicarbonate improved the symptoms. Further laboratory investigations confirmed diagnosis of autoimmune type 1 diabetes. After normalization of blood glucose levels, the patient could soon be discharged with a subcutaneous insulin therapy.
Learning points:
-
Diabetic ketoacidosis as first manifestation of type 1 diabetes can occur with markedly elevated blood glucose concentrations in elder patients.
-
Atypical antipsychotics are associated with hyperglycemia and an increased risk of new-onset diabetes.
-
First report of risperidone-associated diabetic ketoacidosis in new-onset type 1 diabetes.
-
Patients treated with atypical antipsychotics require special care and regular laboratory examinations to detect hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis.
-
In cases when the diagnosis is in doubt, blood gas analysis as well as determination of C-peptide and islet autoantibodies can help to establish the definite diabetes type.
Search for other papers by Catherine Alguire in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jessica Chbat in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Isabelle Forest in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Ariane Godbout in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Isabelle Bourdeau in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary
Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor of the adrenal gland. It often presents with the classic triad of headache, palpitations and generalized sweating. Although not described as a typical symptom of pheochromocytoma, anxiety is the fourth most common symptom reported by patients suffering of pheochromocytoma. We report the case of a 64 year old man who had severe anxiety and panic disorder as presenting symptoms of pheochromocytoma. After 13 years of psychiatric follow-up, the patient was diagnosed with malignant pheochromocytoma. After surgical resection of his pheochromocytoma and his hepatic metastases, the major panic attacks completely disappeared, the anxiety symptoms improved significantly and the psychiatric medications were stopped except for a very low maintenance dose of venlafaxine. We found in our cohort of 160 patients with pheochromocytoma 2 others cases of apparently benign tumors with severe anxiety that resolved after pheochromocytoma resection. These cases highlight that pheochromocytoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of refractory anxiety disorder.
Learning points:
-
Anxiety and panic disorder may be the main presenting symptoms of pheochromocytoma.
-
The diagnosis of pheochromocytoma should be excluded in cases of long-term panic disorder refractory to medications since the anxiety may be secondary to a catecholamine-secreting tumor.
-
Surgical treatment of pheochromocytoma leads to significant improvement of anxiety disorders.
Search for other papers by Carlos Tavares Bello in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Emma van der Poest Clement in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Richard Feelders in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary
Cushing’s syndrome is a rare disease that results from prolonged exposure to supraphysiological levels of glucocorticoids. Severe and rapidly progressive cases are often, but not exclusively, attributable to ectopic ACTH secretion. Extreme hypercortisolism usually has florid metabolic consequences and is associated with an increased infectious and thrombotic risk. The authors report on a case of a 51-year-old male that presented with severe Cushing’s syndrome secondary to an ACTH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma, whose diagnostic workup was affected by concurrent subclinical multifocal pulmonary infectious nodules. The case is noteworthy for the atypically severe presentation of Cushing’s disease, and it should remind the clinician of the possible infectious and thrombotic complications associated with Cushing’s syndrome.
Learning points:
-
Severe Cushing’s syndrome is not always caused by ectopic ACTH secretion.
-
Hypercortisolism is a state of immunosuppression, being associated with an increased risk for opportunistic infections.
-
Infectious pulmonary infiltrates may lead to imaging diagnostic dilemmas when investigating a suspected ectopic ACTH secretion.
-
Cushing’s syndrome carries an increased thromboembolic risk that may even persist after successful surgical management.
-
Antibiotic and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis should be considered in every patient with severe Cushing’s syndrome.
Search for other papers by Julian Choi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Perin Suthakar in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Farbod Farmand in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary
We describe the case of a young Hispanic female who presented with thyrotoxicosis with seizures and ischemic stroke. She was diagnosed with a rare vasculopathy – moyamoya syndrome. After starting antithyroid therapy, her neurologic symptoms did not improve. Acute neurosurgical intervention had relieved her symptoms in the immediate post-operative period after re-anastomosis surgery. However, 2 post-operative days later, she was found to be in status epilepticus and in hyperthyroid state. She quickly deteriorated clinically and had expired a few days afterward. This is the second case in literature of a fatality in a patient with moyamoya syndrome and Graves’ disease. However, unlike the other case report, our patient had undergone successful revascularization surgery. We believe her underlying non-euthyroid state had potentiated her clinical deterioration. Case studies have shown positive correlation between uncontrolled hyperthyroidism and stroke-like symptoms in moyamoya syndrome. Mostly all patients with these two disease processes become symptomatic in marked hyperthyroid states. Thus, it may be either fluctuations in baseline thyroid function or thyrotoxicosis that potentiate otherwise asymptomatic moyamoya vasculopathy.
Learning points:
-
Awareness of the association between Graves’ disease and moyamoya syndrome in younger patients presenting with stroke-like symptoms.
-
Obtaining euthyroid states before undergoing revascularization surgery may protect the patient from perioperative mortality and morbidity.
-
Although moyamoya disease is usually thought to be genetically associated, there are reports that thyroid antibodies may play a role in its pathogenesis and have an autoimmune link.
-
Fluctuations in baseline thyroid function for patients with known Graves’ disease may be a potentiating factor in exacerbating moyamoya vasculopathy.
