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BMC Endocrine Disorders
Published in: BMC Endocrine Disorders 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Case report

Graves’ disease in monozygotic twins – a case report

Authors: Christoph A Rüst, Beat Knechtle, Thomas Rosemann

Published in: BMC Endocrine Disorders | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

Autoimmune thyroid diseases including Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are caused by immune response to self-thyroid antigens. The rare situation of hyperthyroidism with Graves’ disease in twins has been reported in a very few case reports in literature.

Case presentation

We present monozygotic female twins developing consecutively Graves’ disease within five years. One year before the diagnosis of Graves’ disease was established in the first twin, the mother developed a toxic thyroid nodule with hyperthyroidism leading to hemi thyroidectomy. Both the mother and the twins were cigarette smokers. The twins were treated with carbamizole and this therapy led to normalization of thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroxine.

Conclusion

This case report supports the hypothesis that a genetic factor as well as an environmental factor (cigarette smoking) might be of great importance in the aetiology of Graves’ disease.
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Metadata
Title
Graves’ disease in monozygotic twins – a case report
Authors
Christoph A Rüst
Beat Knechtle
Thomas Rosemann
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Endocrine Disorders / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6823
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6823-13-17

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