Case Report: Pediatric Thyroid Storm Presenting to the Emergency Department with Afebrile Seizure

Introduction: Seizures are a common presenting complaint and account for approximately 1% of total emergency department (ED) visits. Seizures are especially common in children less than five years old as they have a lower seizure threshold as compared to adults. One potentially dangerous etiology th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daniel J. Klein, Emily Rose
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: eScholarship Publishing, University of California 2024-01-01
Series:Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine
Online Access:https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9500t8m2
Description
Summary:Introduction: Seizures are a common presenting complaint and account for approximately 1% of total emergency department (ED) visits. Seizures are especially common in children less than five years old as they have a lower seizure threshold as compared to adults. One potentially dangerous etiology that is far less common, especially in children, is thyroid storm, the extreme manifestation of hyperthyroidism. Case Report: We describe the case of a 3-year-old girl who presented to the ED with an afebrile seizure but was found to be in thyroid storm. This case should serve as a reminder for emergency physicians to consider thyroid disease when evaluating patients presenting with seizures. Conclusion: Although most pediatric seizures are self-limited and frequently benign, it is imperative that the emergency physician evaluate for and rule out any potentially associated dangerous conditions such as thyroid storm.
ISSN:2474-252X