# A Case of Transient Central Hypothyroidism Coinciding With Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome

**Authors:** Hitomi Meshino, Asuka Uto, Yuki Ishinoda, Kazushi Suzuki, Naoki Oshima

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.100051 · Cureus · 2025-12-25

## TL;DR

A 45-year-old woman experienced transient central hypothyroidism alongside a rare brain blood vessel condition, suggesting a possible link between the two.

## Contribution

This is the first reported case linking transient central hypothyroidism with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.

## Key findings

- The patient showed signs of central hypothyroidism during a cerebral vasoconstriction episode.
- Treatment with levothyroxine and verapamil improved both thyroid and neurological symptoms.
- Vascular stenosis resolved, and thyroid function normalized after treatment.

## Abstract

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is characterized by reversible segmental constriction and dilation of the major cerebral arteries and is typically unrelated to endocrine dysfunction. Central hypothyroidism (CH), a rare form of hypothyroidism caused by insufficient thyroid-stimulating hormone secretion from the pituitary gland, is usually associated with pituitary pathology. Here, we report a case of transient CH coinciding with RCVS, which to our knowledge has not been previously described in the literature. A 45-year-old woman presented with recurrent cerebral infarction characterized by total aphasia, right hemiplegia, and conjugate deviation. During the recurrent episode, endocrinological evaluation revealed CH with a blunted thyroid-stimulating hormone response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation, while other pituitary hormones remained normal. She was treated with levothyroxine and verapamil, leading to gradual improvement in both thyroid function and neurological deficits. Follow-up imaging demonstrated resolution of vascular stenosis, and levothyroxine was discontinued once thyroid function normalized. We hypothesize that transient vasoconstriction of small pituitary arteries, undetectable on imaging, may have contributed to reversible pituitary dysfunction. This case cautiously indicates a possible association between RCVS and CH, suggesting that endocrine evaluation would be helpful when managing patients with RCVS.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** levothyroxine (PubChem CID 5819), verapamil (PubChem CID 2520)
- **Diseases:** hypothyroidism (MONDO:0005420), reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (MONDO:0017291), central hypothyroidism (MONDO:0016410)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** aphasia (MESH:D001037), dilation (MESH:D002311), Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome (MESH:D002547), vascular stenosis (MESH:D003251), endocrine dysfunction (MESH:D004700), cerebral infarction (MESH:D002544), CH (MESH:D007037), pituitary dysfunction (MESH:D010900), major cerebral arteries (MESH:D002539), hemiplegia (MESH:D006429), neurological deficits (MESH:D009461), RCVS (MESH:D054038)
- **Chemicals:** levothyroxine (MESH:D013974), verapamil (MESH:D014700), thyroid-stimulating hormone (MESH:D013972)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

_Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12831192/full.md

## Figures

2 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12831192/full.md

## References

9 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12831192/full.md

---
Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12831192