Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGraves’ Dermopathy SymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentFreqeuently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Graves’ Dermopathy Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Freqeuently Asked Questions
Graves’dermopathy,also calledpretibial myxedema,is a rare skin condition that develops in some people withGraves’ disease, which is an autoimmune thyroid disease. Graves' disease occurs when your immune system attacks your thyroid gland and cause it to produce more thyroid hormones you need. Symptoms of Graves' dermopathy include swollen, red skin that’s most often on the shins.
Thethyroid glandsits in the front of your neck. It regulates many hormones and systems in your body. When it produces too much thyroid hormone, it’s calledhyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease isautoimmunehyperthyroidism.
What Is Autoimmunity?Autoimmunity is “friendly fire” from the immune system. The system mistakes a healthy part of your body for something that could cause disease (like a virus). It then attacks and tries to destroy it. This causes inflammation, damage, and dysfunction.
What Is Autoimmunity?
Autoimmunity is “friendly fire” from the immune system. The system mistakes a healthy part of your body for something that could cause disease (like a virus). It then attacks and tries to destroy it. This causes inflammation, damage, and dysfunction.
This article looks at the symptoms and possible causes of Graves’ dermopathy plus how it’s diagnosed and treated.
Verywell / Joules Garcia
In Graves’ dermopathy, the skin is:
It can affect your:
It usually affects both sides of the body in a symmetrical pattern, but it sometimes appears only on one side.
About 96% of Graves’ dermopathy cases are in people who haveGraves’ophthalmopathy, also referred to as Graves' orbitopathy, which can cause bulging eyes, eye pain, and vision impairment.
Sometimes, Graves’ dermopathy can be a sign of undiagnosed Graves’ disease. Common Graves’ diseasesymptomsinclude:
Graves’ dermopathy, Graves’ ophthalmopathy, and goiter are considered the classic triad of Graves’ disease symptoms.
Graves’ dermopathy is believed to be part of the autoimmune reaction in Graves’ disease.
In this disease, the immune system targets cells that bind tothyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH). These cells sometimes appear in the skin, so the immune system attacks them there.
Progression
Typically, Graves’ dermopathy shows up in advancedthyroid disease. This most often means the disease has been untreated or under-treated.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism usually develop first. Later, Graves’ ophthalmopathy may appear, then Graves' dermopathy.
In about 20% of cases, people with Graves’ dermopathy eventually develop thyroid acropachy, which is soft tissue swelling and clubbing of fingers and toes.
If you’ve beendiagnosed with Graves’ disease, especially Graves' ophthalmopathy, your doctor may diagnose Graves’ dermopathy on sight through a physical exam. However, tests can confirm the diagnosis.
In samples taken through biopsy, the lab will look for:
If your doctor suspects Graves’ dermopathy but you’ve not been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, they may also order blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels, measure TSH, and look for thyroid antibodies.
Doctors Who Treat Thyroid Disease
Treating the underlying thyroid disease doesn’t usually help clear up skin symptoms.If Graves’ dermopathy isn’t itchy or painful, it may not need to be treated. However, you may choose to treat it because you don’t like how it looks.
Treatment options include:
In studies, 70% of mild cases went into partial or complete remission without treatment. With treatment, 58% of severe cases went into partial or complete remission.
What to Eat When You Have Graves' Disease
What Causes Graves' Dermopathy?
The autoimmune target of Graves' disease is cells that bind to TSH. Most of these cells are in the thyroid gland, but they are sometimes found in your skin as well. That causes the immune system to launch an attack on those cells.
Can Pretibial Myxedema be Cured?
Pretibial myxedema can’t be “cured” in that it’s certain you’ll never have it again. However, most cases do go into remission on their own. If yours doesn’t, then treatment can help clear it up.
What is Thyroid Storm?
What Are Thyroid Hormones and What Do They Do?
Summary
A Word From Verywell
If you suspect Graves’ dermopathy, have your doctor look at it. Timely diagnosis and treatment is especially important if you have not been diagnosed with Graves’ disease but have other symptoms that suggest it.
If you have symptoms of Graves' dermopathy, know that treatments are available and a large majority of cases go into remission. You don’t have to live with the symptoms.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rodia C, Menconi F, Mazoni L, et al.A case of unilateral dermopathy possibly related to graves' disease.Eur Thyroid J. 8(5):278-282. doi:10.1159/000500297UpToDate.Pretibial myxedema (thyroid dermopathy) in autoimmune thyroid disease.Dhali TK, Chahar M.Thyroid dermopathy-a diagnostic clue of hidden hyperthyroidism.Dermato-Endocrinol. 6(1):e981078. doi:10.4161/19381980.2014.981078MedlinePlus.Graves' disease.Reddy SV, Gupta SK, Jain M.Dermopathy of Graves' disease: Clinico-pathological correlation.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 16(3):460-462. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.95714American Thyroid Association.Hyperthyroidism (overactive).MedlinePlus.Thyroid storm.University of Michigan Health, Michigan Medicine.Thyroid hormone production and function.Peeters RP, Visser TJ.Metabolism of thyroid hormone. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al., ed.Endotext: Comprehensive free online endocrinology book. Internet: MDText.com, Inc.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rodia C, Menconi F, Mazoni L, et al.A case of unilateral dermopathy possibly related to graves' disease.Eur Thyroid J. 8(5):278-282. doi:10.1159/000500297UpToDate.Pretibial myxedema (thyroid dermopathy) in autoimmune thyroid disease.Dhali TK, Chahar M.Thyroid dermopathy-a diagnostic clue of hidden hyperthyroidism.Dermato-Endocrinol. 6(1):e981078. doi:10.4161/19381980.2014.981078MedlinePlus.Graves' disease.Reddy SV, Gupta SK, Jain M.Dermopathy of Graves' disease: Clinico-pathological correlation.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 16(3):460-462. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.95714American Thyroid Association.Hyperthyroidism (overactive).MedlinePlus.Thyroid storm.University of Michigan Health, Michigan Medicine.Thyroid hormone production and function.Peeters RP, Visser TJ.Metabolism of thyroid hormone. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al., ed.Endotext: Comprehensive free online endocrinology book. Internet: MDText.com, Inc.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Rodia C, Menconi F, Mazoni L, et al.A case of unilateral dermopathy possibly related to graves' disease.Eur Thyroid J. 8(5):278-282. doi:10.1159/000500297UpToDate.Pretibial myxedema (thyroid dermopathy) in autoimmune thyroid disease.Dhali TK, Chahar M.Thyroid dermopathy-a diagnostic clue of hidden hyperthyroidism.Dermato-Endocrinol. 6(1):e981078. doi:10.4161/19381980.2014.981078MedlinePlus.Graves' disease.Reddy SV, Gupta SK, Jain M.Dermopathy of Graves' disease: Clinico-pathological correlation.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 16(3):460-462. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.95714American Thyroid Association.Hyperthyroidism (overactive).MedlinePlus.Thyroid storm.University of Michigan Health, Michigan Medicine.Thyroid hormone production and function.Peeters RP, Visser TJ.Metabolism of thyroid hormone. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al., ed.Endotext: Comprehensive free online endocrinology book. Internet: MDText.com, Inc.
Rodia C, Menconi F, Mazoni L, et al.A case of unilateral dermopathy possibly related to graves' disease.Eur Thyroid J. 8(5):278-282. doi:10.1159/000500297
UpToDate.Pretibial myxedema (thyroid dermopathy) in autoimmune thyroid disease.
Dhali TK, Chahar M.Thyroid dermopathy-a diagnostic clue of hidden hyperthyroidism.Dermato-Endocrinol. 6(1):e981078. doi:10.4161/19381980.2014.981078
MedlinePlus.Graves' disease.
Reddy SV, Gupta SK, Jain M.Dermopathy of Graves' disease: Clinico-pathological correlation.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 16(3):460-462. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.95714
American Thyroid Association.Hyperthyroidism (overactive).
MedlinePlus.Thyroid storm.
University of Michigan Health, Michigan Medicine.Thyroid hormone production and function.
Peeters RP, Visser TJ.Metabolism of thyroid hormone. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al., ed.Endotext: Comprehensive free online endocrinology book. Internet: MDText.com, Inc.
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