The cause of pleuropericardial effusion can be varied and includes many differential diagnoses. One of the very rare causes of pleuropericardial effusion can be hypothyroidism. The clinical findings of hypothyroidism are generally subtly leading to delay in diagnosis. We present a case of a middle-aged patient who presented at our tertiary care center with massive pleuropericardial effusion due to hypothyroidism which was managed conservatively. Hypothyroidism can present as pleuropericardial effusion and the treating physician should keep that differential while evaluating and treating such cases.
Kust D, Kruljac I, Peternac AŠ, et al. Pleural and pericardial effusions combined with ascites in a patient with severe sunitinib-induced hypothyroidism. Acta Clin Belg 2016;71(3):175–177. DOI: 10.1179/2295333715Y.0000000065
Parker DR, Shaboury AH. Central hypothyroidism presenting with pericardial and pleural effusions. J Intern Med 1993;234(4):429–430. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.1993.tb00767.x
Kumar G, Kumar A, Bundela RP, et al. Hypothyroidism presenting as multiple body cavity effusions. J Assoc Physicians India 2016;64(7):83–84. PM ID 27759354.
Sachdev Y, Hall R. Effusions into body cavities in hypothyroidism. Lancet 1975;1(7906):564–566. DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75) 91571-8
Levey GS, Disorders K. In: Stein's Textbook of Medicine 2nd ed. Boston, Massachusetts: Little Brown&Co; 1994.
Zimmerman L, Broaddus VC, Mason RJ, et al. Murray and Nadel's. Textbook of respiratory medicine. Elsevier Saunders; 2016
Pasteur M, Laroche C, Keogan M. Pleuropericardial effusion in a 50 year old woman. Pleuropericardial effusion caused by adult inset Still's disease. Postgrad Med J 2001;77(907):346, 355–357. DOI: 10.1136/pmj.77.907.346
Schattner A. Associated pleural and pericardial effusions: An extensive differential explored. Am J Med 2021;134(4):435–443. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.11.001
Seo CG, Kim KJ, Park E, et al. Untreated primary hypothyroidism with simultaneous rhabdomyolysis, pericardial effusion, and sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a case report. BMC Endocr Disord 2019;19(1):52. DOI: 10.1186/s12902-019-0379-y
Brüssel T, Matthay MA, Chernow B. Pulmonary manifestations of endocrine and metabolic disorders. Clin Chest Med 1989;10(4): 645–653. DOI: 10.1016/S0272-5231(21)00658-4
Lencu C, Alexescu T, Petrulea M, et al. Respiratory manifestations in endocrine diseases. Clujul Med 2016;89(4):459–463. DOI: 10.15386/cjmed-671