PICU treatment of 3 cases of pediatric thyroid storm: Case series and literature review

Thyroid storm (TS), also known as thyroid crisis, is a life-threatening condition that involves multiple organ dysfunction and high mortality due to uncontrolled hyperthyroidism. TS in children is extremely rare, early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the prognosis of the children. PATIENT CONCERNS: Three female children who diagnosed as “thyroid storm” were admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). One of them had a family history of hyperthyroidism and others had infection factors induced TS. They presented with characteristic manifestations of TS and were evaluated with Burch-Wartofsky Point Scale (BWPS) hyperthyroidism score. DIAGNOSES: Three cases showed that free triiodothyronine 3 (FT3) and free triiodothyronine 4 (FT4) were increased and Thyroid-Stimulating-Hormone was significantly decreased, which were characteristic in hyperthyroidism. They presented with characteristic manifestations of TS and were evaluated with BWPS hyperthyroidism score. INTERVENTIONS: All the cases were given antithyroid drugs (ATDs) for treatment. In addition, 1 of them underwent therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) after transferring to PICU. OUTCOMES: One of the cases was declared dead and others were survived. LESSONS: TS should be identified timely and treated early. Further studies are needed to determine the diagnostic criteria and scoring system for TS in pediatric.