Evans' Syndrome Associated with Graves' Disease

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 35; no. 12; pp. 987 - 990
• Main Authors: YASHIRO, Miho, NAGOSHI, Haruhisa, KASUGA, Youko, ISOBE, Hozumi, KITAJIMA, Satoshi, NAKAGAWA, Teisuke, OHSHIMA, Jun, IDE, Kiyoshi, SOMEYA, Kazuhiko, SAITO, Nobuhiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 1996; Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
• Subjects: Adrenal Cortex Hormones - administration & dosage; Adult; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune - complications; Anemias. Hemoglobinopathies; Antithyroid Agents - administration & dosage; autoimmune disease; Biological and medical sciences; Coombs' test; Diseases of red blood cells; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Graves Disease - complications; Graves Disease - drug therapy; Graves Disease - genetics; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; human leukocyte antigen; Humans; Medical sciences; Methimazole - administration & dosage; platelet-associated immunoglobulin G; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic - complications; Syndrome; Endocrinopathy; Human; Immunopathology; Hyperthyroidism; Thyroid diseases; IgG; Autoimmune disease; Hemopathy; Genetic character; Evans syndrome; Case study; Platelet; Association; Treatment; Graves disease; Antiglobulin test
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.35.987

A 36-year-old woman who had had Graves' disease for 6 years was admitted with severe thrombocytopenia. Evans' syndrome was diagnosed. The patient's family history showed multiple cases of Graves' disease but no cases of Evans' syndrome. Both conditions in this patient improved with corticosteroid and thiamazole therapy. Several autoimmune antibodies were found, but a common autoimmune mechanism was not clearly shown. Although the combination of Graves' disease and Evans' syndrome had not occurred previously in her family, genetic factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of both conditions. (Internal Medicine 35: 987-990, 1996)