Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition resulting from severe hypothyroidism: Myxedema is characterized by dry, waxy swelling of the skin, particularly around the eyes, lips, and nose, often accompanied by mental sluggishness and other symptoms of underactive thyroid function.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was diagnosed with myxedema after presenting with facial puffiness and slowed speech.
  • Untreated hypothyroidism can progress to a severe state known as myxedema.

Advanced Usage

• "Myxedema coma": A rare, life-threatening complication of severe, long-standing hypothyroidism, characterized by extreme lethargy, hypothermia, and unconsciousness.
  • The elderly patient was admitted to the ICU in a myxedema coma.

Variants and Related Words

• Myxoedema (noun): The British English spelling variant of "myxedema."
• Myxedematous (adj): Relating to or affected by myxedema.
  • The myxedematous changes in her skin were evident.

Synonyms

• Hypothyroid state: A general term for conditions caused by an underactive thyroid gland.
• Gull's disease: An older, less common term for hypothyroidism, sometimes associated with myxedema.

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Meaning: The term "myxedema" specifically refers to the collection of physical symptoms, especially the mucinous skin swelling, caused by severe thyroid hormone deficiency. It is not a synonym for all hypothyroidism but rather describes its advanced, symptomatic form.
• Distinction: In medical contexts, "myxedema" is often distinguished from milder forms of hypothyroidism by the presence of these characteristic dermal and mental changes.

Noun

1. hypothyroidism marked by dry skin and swellings around lips and nose as well as mental deterioration