Persistent hyperthyroidism and Graves' ophthalmopathy after total thyroidectomy.

UNLABELLED

We report a patient with Graves' disease who remained persistently hyperthyroid after a total thyroidectomy and also developed Graves' ophthalmopathy 5 months after surgery. She was subsequently found to have a mature cystic teratoma containing struma ovarii after undergoing a total hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy for an incidental ovarian lesion.

LEARNING POINTS

It is important to investigate for other causes of primary hyperthyroidism when thyrotoxicosis persists after total thyroidectomy.TSH receptor antibody may persist after total thyroidectomy and may potentially contribute to the development of Graves' ophthalmopathy.