There is a problem, associated with Graves, that occurs on the shins of the legs. It is called “pretibial myxedema”. What you have described does not sound PRECISELY like PM, but it might be a variation on the theme, and your best bet might be to check with a dermatologist, if only to rule it out. P.M. is a response of the skin on the lower legs to the antithyroid antibodies. It only occurs in approximately one percent of Graves’ patients, so that makes it very rare. It’s “classic” presentation is the formation of thickened areas of skin, raised, bumpy, that somewhat resemble the rind of an orange. These can appear everywhere on the lower shins, or they can occur in sporadic “spots”. But depending upon where the thickening areas occur, the legs can sometimes just appear swollen. It isn’t a “rash”, per se, but some people start out by describing a rash. And in the information my dermatologist gave me on the problem, swelling WAS listed as a possibility.
Bobbi — NGDF Asst. Online Facilitator
Bobbi@ngdf.org