# Case Report: Pediatric Thyroid Storm Presenting to the Emergency Department with Afebrile Seizure

## TL;DR

A 3-year-old girl with afebrile seizure was diagnosed with thyroid storm, highlighting the need for emergency physicians to consider rare but dangerous causes of seizures in children.

## Contribution

This case report highlights the rare but critical association between afebrile seizures and thyroid storm in pediatric patients.

## Key findings

- A 3-year-old girl presented with an afebrile seizure and was diagnosed with thyroid storm.
- Thyroid storm should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric seizures.
- Emergency physicians must rule out dangerous conditions like thyroid storm in seizure cases.

## Abstract

Seizures are a common presenting complaint and account for approximately 1% of total emergency department (ED) visits. Seizures are especially common in children less than five years old as they have a lower seizure threshold as compared to adults. One potentially dangerous etiology that is far less common, especially in children, is thyroid storm, the extreme manifestation of hyperthyroidism.

We describe the case of a 3-year-old girl who presented to the ED with an afebrile seizure but was found to be in thyroid storm. This case should serve as a reminder for emergency physicians to consider thyroid disease when evaluating patients presenting with seizures.

Although most pediatric seizures are self-limited and frequently benign, it is imperative that the emergency physician evaluate for and rule out any potentially associated dangerous conditions such as thyroid storm.