Probable hypovolemia in a setting of nonspecific constitutional symptoms.


The finding of orthostatic hypotension (a significant decrease in blood pressure on standing) usually indicates hypovolemia. It may also suggest a decrease in the ability of the cardiovascular system to withstand stress. Hypovolemia in this patient could be simply a result of diarrhea with poor fluid intake (dehydration), or could indicate an internal problem with fluid balance. In this latter category, diabetes insipidus and mineralocorticoid (aldosterone) deficiency would be considerations.

A significant weight loss always raises the possibility of malignancy. In this case, the patient has had poor appetite and diarrhea as possible causes of the weight loss, but you should keep the possibility of a tumor in the back of your mind whenever you see a history of major weight loss.

Amenorrhea can be associated with chronic disease and weight loss. It could also signal an endocrine-related problem.

In general, these symptoms could be produced by a number of chronic inflammatory diseases or GI-related problems. However, the finding of a diffusely-enlarged thyroid indicates that endocrine-related disease should be evaluated in the initial laboratory testing.

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