COVID-19 and myxedema coma: a report of two cases and a literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20453/rmh.v37i2.6381Keywords:
hypothyroidism, COVID-19, mortalityAbstract
Myxedema coma (MC) is a rare condition associated with high mortality in patients with hypothyroidism. We report two cases treated at a tertiary care hospital in Lima, Peru, between 2020 and 2021. Both patients achieved a diagnostic score greater than or equal to 60 on the Popoveniuc et al. scale. The cases met severity criteria for COVID-19. They presented with hypothermia and bradycardia following intubation and the administration of sedation and analgesia. It remains unknown how SARS-CoV-2 triggers MC. Evidence suggests a biochemical and immunological relationship between this virus and thyroid function. Thyroid disease and hypothyroidism are associated with a poor prognosis in COVID-19. The objective of this report was to describe the increased incidence of MC associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Copyright (c) 2026 María Jesús Poma-Rueda, Andrea Gómez de la Torre-del Carpio, Víctor Hugo Noriega-Ruiz, Jessica Faustor-Sánchez, Miluska Huachín-Soto
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