A Rare Case of Pembrolizumab-Associated Graves' Disease

Sura Alqaisi; Ali Rahman

doi:10.7759/cureus.34696

A Rare Case of Pembrolizumab-Associated Graves' Disease

Cureus. 2023 Feb 6;15(2):e34696. doi: 10.7759/cureus.34696. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Sura Alqaisi¹, Ali Rahman²

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine, Memorial Healthcare, Pembroke Pines, USA.
² Internal Medicine, Northwell Health at Mather Hospital, Port Jefferson, USA.

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPis), such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), are associated with the development of several immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Thyroid dysfunction is a common endocrine irAE associated with pembrolizumab; however, Graves' disease induced by pembrolizumab is extremely rare. Few cases of this condition have been reported in the literature. Here, we report the case of a 50-year-old patient who presented with thyrotoxicosis that was attributed to Graves' disease secondary to pembrolizumab therapy.

Keywords: graves’ disease; hyperthyroidism; immune checkpoint inhibitors; immune-related adverse events; keytruda®; pembrolizumab; thyrotoxicosis.

Publication types

Case Reports