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myxedema
(miks″ә-de´mә)
a condition resulting from advanced hypothyroidism, or deficiency of thyroxine; it is the adult form of the disease whose congenital form is known as cretinism. It may be caused by lack of iodine in the diet; by atrophy, surgical removal, or a disorder of the thyroid gland; by destruction of the gland by radioactive iodine; or by deficient excretion of thyrotropin by the pituitary gland. It is marked primarily by a growing puffiness of the skin, nonpitting edema, abnormal deposits of mucin in the skin, and distinctive facial changes such as swollen lips and a thickened nose. adj., myxedem´atous., adj.
pretibial myxedema
localized skin lesions associated with preceding hyperthyroidism, found most often on the front of the legs. It is almost always associated with Graves disease, occurring in 0.5 to 5 per cent of patients. Called also thyroid dermopathy.
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