Kriss et al. (1964) postulated that the destruction of the thyroid gland by disease (hyperthyroidism or thyroiditis) or by therapeutic agents (especially 1311) results in the release of an antigen of thyroid cell origin which then stimulates the production of the antibody, LATS. The antibody is then fixed to the tissues of the legs, the phenomenon being facilitated by a number of factors such a...

A previous study has demonstrated that the soleus H reflex is facilitated in association with voluntary teeth clenching in proportion with biting force in humans. The present study tried to elucidate the functional significance of this facilitation of the soleus H reflex, by examining 1) whether the facilitation of the H reflex is reciprocal or nonreciprocal between the ankle extensors and flex...

Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland with characteristic peripheral manifestations. The most common clinical findings include ophthalmopathy in 30% of patients, dermopathy (pretibial myxedema) in 4% of patients, and thyroid acropachy in 1% of patients. The triad of exophthalmos, pretibial myxedema, and acropachy occurs in less than 1% of patients. We present a case of ...

The molecular basis for the profound inflammatory response and the accumulation of hyaluronan in orbital connective tissues seen in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy is unknown. Moreover, the link between the orbital manifestations of Graves' disease and those in the pretibial skin, localized dermopathy, has yet to be established. We have reported recently that leukoregulin, an activated T lymp...

BACKGROUND EMO syndrome, defined as a triad including exophthalmus, pretibial myxedema and osteoarthropathia, is a rare condition in patients suffering from hyperthyreosis. CASE PRESENTATION We here describe an interesting case of EMO syndrome associated with unilateral fibromatosis of the hand and an initial stage of generalized myxedema of the skin. To our knowledge a similar case has not y...

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a genetically heterogeneous connective tissue disorder which is comprised of more than 10 phenotypes including EDS-VIII (periodontitis type), which is characterized by chronically inflamed pretibial lesions and severe periodontitis. We describe a 26-year-old female with a long-standing history of abnormal scarring tissues, presenting with pretibial waxy violaceou...

Epidermolysis bullosa is a group of mechano-bullous genetic disorders caused by mutations in the genes encoding structural proteins of the skin. Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is caused by mutations in the COL7A1 gene encoding collagen VII, the main constituent of anchoring fibrils. In this group, there are autosomal dominant and recessive inheritances. The pre-tibial form is characterized by...