Myxedema is a difficult skin condition, which can progress to even more severe symptoms when people have hypothyroidism or low thyroid hormone levels. The condition goes by several other names, including Graves' dermopathy, and when part of Graves' disease, it is associated with hyperthyroidism, or very high thyroid levels. Usually the condition is due to hypothyroidism, and thyroid levels must be noticeably low for long periods of time. The condition may be more common with certain types of thyroid disorders, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition that causes the body to treat thyroid hormones as foreign. Other causes of this condition may include removal of the thyroid, called a thyroidectomy,
The skin symptoms of myxedema often occur simultaneously with other symptoms of low thyroid hormones, and both must be considered. With persistently low levels of thyroid hormone, a person may have aches and pains, feel a strong sense of fatigue, have memory loss or confusion, and gain weight easily. In older people, symptoms of hypothyroidism can be confused with diseases such as Alzheimer's. Getting the correct diagnosis is crucial, as not having enough thyroid hormone can ultimately cause people to fall into a coma.
In this sense, myxedema can help facilitate the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, but the symptoms can be difficult to bear. The skin may become thicker and thicker. It is generally drier and there may be water retention. The skin may also take on a yellow or orange discoloration. Also, there are areas under the skin that have deposits of a material called "gelatinous" and these areas cause inflammation of the skin. Occasionally the condition only affects the legs and may be called partial, but more often it affects the entire body with marked swelling and roughness of the skin, especially around the palms, knees, elbows and soles of the feet.
Myxedema can be compared to lymphedema, but there are several differences. The swelling is caused by both conditions, but in lymphedema, the swelling is asymmetrical and can be controlled but not cured. Regulating thyroid hormone levels can actually cure myxedema and all signs of the condition can regress if hormone levels are correct. The other benchmark used is that lymphedema can usually be ruled out if blood tests for thyroid-stimulating hormone and actual hormone levels come back abnormal.
Treatment for myxedema involves thyroid hormone supplementation. This usually causes bloating at recess. When people have autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis, they may require fairly constant blood monitoring to make sure thyroid hormone levels stay within normal ranges.