[Elephantiasic pretibial myxoedema: study of five cases].

Abstract

Introduction: Elephantiasic myxoedema is very rare. We report 5 pretibial myxoedema cases observed in the Dermatological department of Le Dantec hospital in Dakar.

Patients and methods: Our 5 cases were 3 women (age: 52, 45 and 18 years) and 2 men (age: 54 and 32 years).

Results: All the cases were enormous, multinodular pachydermic, bilateral, elephantiasis in the low leg and associated to Graves 'disease. The duration was 4 month to 12 year. In 3 cases there was a Diamond syndrome which is a severe form. The cutaneous lesions were not influenced by medical treatment of thyroid disease. Systemic steroids achieved improvement of the elephantiasis in 1 case.

Conclusion: Elephantiasis is a very unusual presentation of pretibial myxoedema and its occurrence doesn't depend to the intensity of thyrotoxicosis and its evolution. However in our cases, it was a severity indicator factor, like Diamond syndrome. Local and systemic steroids give very rarely improvement.