Abstract
Acute conditions in medicine of thyroid gland include thyroid storm, myxoedema coma, acute hypocalcaemia following thyroid surgery, imminent suffocation and superior vena cava syndrome in rapidly growing goitre, sight- threatening Graves' ophthalmopathy and acute purulent thyroiditis and its complications (acute mediastinitis and sepsis). As these are rare conditions, the management is often not fully evidence based and is rather empirical and based on pathophysiological principles.
Thyroid storm is treated with intravenous methimazole, hydrocortisone and beta-blockers, myxoedema coma with hydrocortisone and high-dose levothyroxine and in individual cases in combination with triiodothyronine. In acute postoperative hypocalcaemia, calcium must be supplemented intravenously or orally (in mild cases) and if hypoparathyroidism is confirmed, calcitriol should be added.