Musculoskeletal ImagingMyxoedema
a term frequently used for adult
hypothyroidism. Among the causes of myxoedema are atrophy, irradiation or surgery of the
thyroid gland, thyroiditis (e.g.
Hashimotos thyroiditis), infiltrative disorders (
lymphoma, cystinosis, amyloidosis and
metastasis), deficiency in iodine or defective iodine metabolism, use of certain drugs, and various
pituitary disorders.
Thyroid deficiency in infants leads to
cretinism, and in older children it produces juvenile
myxoedema. The most characteristic feature is delayed bone maturation. Distinctive
radiographic findings are observed in older children (fragmented irregular epiphyseal contours, termed epiphyseal dysgenesis).
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