Diagnosis and management of intraoperative thyroid storm in a child with undiagnosed Graves’ disease: a case report

Abstract

Background: Thyroid storm is a life-threatening manifestation of thyrotoxicosis and presents with fever, diaphoresis, tachycardia, hypertension, and widened pulse pressure. Case presentation: We present a case of intraoperative thyroid storm in a 12-year-old female undergoing posterior spinal fusion. Despite adequate depth of anesthesia and analgesia, the patient was persistently tachycardic and hypertensive. The surgical procedure was uneventful. A thyroid panel drawn immediately after surgery showed undetectable thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and high free thyroxine (T4) consistent with thyroid storm. Conclusions: Intraoperative thyroid storm in a pediatric patient is extremely rare with nonspecific clinical symptoms. Low to undetectable TSH and elevated free T4 is diagnostic.