Racing Heart Under Stormy Skies: A Journey From Agranulocytosis to Thyroid Storm

Thyroid storm is a rare, severe, and life-threatening exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis, characterized by dysfunction of the thermoregulatory, central nervous, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and cardiovascular systems. We present a 31-year-old female with newly diagnosed Graves' disease complicated by carbimazole-induced agranulocytosis. The delay in initiating adjunctive therapy to control the thyrotoxicosis due to suspected sepsis was followed by rapid development of thyroid storm requiring therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and urgent thyroidectomy. This case highlights the importance of prompt recognition and of distinguishing thyroid storm from sepsis in the setting of anti-thyroid drug-induced agranulocytosis and underscores TPE as an effective, well-tolerated bridging therapy for thyroid storm before definitive treatment.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2026-03-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.106197
Primary Topic
Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Racing Heart Under Stormy Skies: A Journey From Agranulocytosis to Thyroid Storm

Siew Hui Foo, Jackie Tan, D. Bernard, Mark Vin Wong
Cureus
Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
article

Racing Heart Under Stormy Skies: A Journey From Agranulocytosis to Thyroid Storm

Siew Hui Foo, Jackie Tan, D. Bernard, Mark Vin Wong
article en

Abstract

Thyroid storm is a rare, severe, and life-threatening exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis, characterized by dysfunction of the thermoregulatory, central nervous, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and cardiovascular systems. We present a 31-year-old female with newly diagnosed Graves' disease complicated by carbimazole-induced agranulocytosis. The delay in initiating adjunctive therapy to control the thyrotoxicosis due to suspected sepsis was followed by rapid development of thyroid storm requiring therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and urgent thyroidectomy. This case highlights the importance of prompt recognition and of distinguishing thyroid storm from sepsis in the setting of anti-thyroid drug-induced agranulocytosis and underscores TPE as an effective, well-tolerated bridging therapy for thyroid storm before definitive treatment.

CureusVol. 18(3)
Hospital Selayang (MY), Subang Jaya Medical Centre (MY)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 36%
Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
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