Thyrotoxicosis factitia masquerading as recurrent Graves' disease: endogenous antibody immunoassay interference, a pitfall for the unwary

Ann Clin Biochem. 2008 May;45(Pt 3):325-7. doi: 10.1258/acb.2007.007163.

Abstract

Antibody interference in immunoassays is an underestimated problem, which has the potential to cause patient harm and waste health-care resources. We report a case where thyroglobulin antibodies generated a false-positive thyroglobulin result delaying the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis factitia masquerading as recurrent Graves' disease. A high index of clinical suspicion and good laboratory-clinician communication underpins effective clinical and laboratory strategies to detect potentially erroneous laboratory results due to endogenous antibody interference in immunoassays.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Autoantibodies / blood
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • False Positive Reactions
  • Female
  • Graves Disease / diagnosis*
  • Graves Disease / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay
  • Thyroglobulin / immunology
  • Thyrotoxicosis / diagnosis*
  • Thyrotoxicosis / immunology

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Thyroglobulin