A triad of exophtalmos, pretibial myxedema and acropachy in a patient with Graves’ disease

A classical triad of extrathyroidal manifestations of Graves’ disease known as EMO syndrome (exophthalmos, pretibial myxedema and osteoarthropathy) is a rare condition. This paper presents a 39-year old male patient who underwent chemoand radiation therapy of the supradiaphragmatic area due to Hodgkin’s disease at the age of 35 and 36 leading to remission. Two years later, the patient developed general symptoms of Graves’ disease and ophthalmopathy, with high thyroid stimulating hormone levels. Four months later, the patient presented with pretibial myxedema. Thirteen months after the onset of the disease, higher levels of thyroxine and decreased levels of thyroid stimulating hormone were registered. The diagnosis of EMO syndrome was confirmed by radiologic and histopathological analyses. Thiamazole and intralesional corticosteroid therapy were administered, resulting in euthyreosis and decrease of pretibial myxedema. The question is whether the autoimmune thyroid disease was triggered by the previous disease, or by chemoand radiation therapy..