ABSTRACT
The relationships between the thyroid and the heart are close and complex. In rare cases, hyperthyroidism induced by Graves' disease can be complicated by an acute myocarditis, which may be life-threatening. We report the case of a 41-year-old woman with Graves' disease not controlled by antithyroid drugs, hospitalized for odynophagia, palpitations due to atrial fibrillation, diffuse ST elevation on ECG and an increase in cardiac troponin. Coronary angiography was normal, cardiac MRI confirmed acute myocarditis. The evolution was favorable after a phase marked by supraventricular and ventricular rhythm disorders. The diagnostic and therapeutic challenge of this association are discussed, with a review of the literature.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To confirm the increased levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in preovulatory follicles from patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to study the role of other hormones involved in folliculogenesis in this increased secretion. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University hospital in France. PATIENT(S): Twenty-two patients with PCOS and 20 controls undergoing IVF. INTERVENTION: On the day of oocyte retrieval, follicular fluid (FF) from one small follicle (8-13 mm) (SF) and one large follicle (16-23 mm) (LF) was collected in each patient. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Per-follicle AMH, FSH, estradiol, androstenedione, hCG, and progesterone levels, and pregnancy rate. RESULT(S): In FF from both SF and LF of PCOS patients, AMH level was significantly increased, and FSH level was significantly decreased when compared with controls. Both hormone levels were negatively and significantly related in controls but not in PCOS. The AMH levels from SF and LF were significantly lower in patients who began a pregnancy. CONCLUSION(S): Our findings suggest that the granulosa cells from polycystic ovaries continue to produce elevated levels of AMH, possibly because of impaired access of FSH to follicles. Such an excess in FF AMH may have harmful consequences on oocyte quality and final maturation through unknown mechanisms.