10 Graves' Disease Symptoms
Symptom #3: Pretibial Myxedema
Pretibial myxedema is a condition also known as Graves’ dermopathy, myxedema tuberosum, or thyroid dermopathy. It is a rare complication of Graves’ disease, occurring approximately in 1 to 5% of patients. Pretibial myxedema is usually preceded by eye symptoms (Graves ophtalmopathy) such as exophthalmos, lid lag, and more.
Pretibial myxedema presents as a localized region of indurated, red and swollen skin, often described with an orange peel appearance. It is also referred to as a non-pitting edema, given that when it is pressed with a finger, an indentation in the skin is not observed. It usually appears on the anterior aspect of the shin and dorsum of the feet. Severe cases may involve the trunk, upper limbs, face, neck, chest, back, and even ears. These lesions result from the deposition and buildup of carbohydrates in the skin (i.e. hyaluronic acid), thus take a long time to resolve.
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