Acute suppurative thyroiditis in an asymptomatic woman: an atypical presentation simulating thyroid carcinoma.
Patients with acute suppurative thyroiditis usually have pain or tenderness in the anterior part of the neck associated with erythema and dysphagia. A 26-year-old Japanese woman with none of these symptoms presented with a left anterior cervical mass. Since physical examination and laboratory studies showed a firm and irregular tumour located in the left lobe of the thyroid without any inflammatory signs, we made a diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma. After surgery, histological examination of the thyroid specimen revealed various changes of severe inflammation, and a barium swallow demonstrated a left pyriform sinus fistula. We describe here a unique case of acute suppurative thyroiditis in an asymptomatic woman.
Yamashita
J
J
Department of Surgery II, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
Ogawa
M
M
Yamashita
S
S
Saishoji
T
T
Nomura
K
K
Tsuruta
J
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013969:Thyroiditis, Suppurative / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography