title: Myxedema coma after esophagectomy.
abstract: For most patients with esophageal cancer, esophagectomy is an effective therapy. Perioperative management is critical for clinical outcomes after the operation. Great efforts should be made to avoid postoperative complications. We report myxedema coma, an emergency condition caused by severe hypothyroidism, after a patient underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous levothyroxine. We strongly recommend that physicians test the thyroid hormone levels in patients with risk factors. If myxedema coma occurs, immediate use of intravenous levothyroxine is effective for this lethal complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Tianpeng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yongfan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D003128:Coma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009230:Myxedema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013974:Thyroxine