Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis in 2 White Men After Treatment for Hyperthyroidism With Total Thyroidectomy and Radioactive Iodine:

We report an uncommon presentation of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) following radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment and total thyroidectomy in 2 white men: a 24-year-old man with TPP in thyrotoxic state treated with total thyroidectomy in whom the TPP recurred after corrective surgery, and a 19-year-old man with TPP while on beta-blockers and 2 weeks after the RAI treatment. In both patients, the underlying etiology of the hyperthyroidism was Graves disease. It is believed that the TPP occurred following RAI treatment and thyroidectomy because of a transient thyrotoxic state. Treatment with potassium and magnesium, and maximal doses of beta-blockers ameliorated symptoms in less than 24 hours.