Subacute thyroiditis during interferon-alpha therapy for chronic hepatitis C.
A 34-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis C received interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy. Her thyroid function was normal and thyroid autoantibodies were negative before treatment. Four months after the beginning of the therapy she presented a clinical course of thyroiditis with a transient thyrotoxicosis. The diagnosis of subacute thyroiditis was confirmed by laboratory, ultrasonography, radioiodine scanning and fine needle aspiration findings. Thyroid autoantibodies were persisting negative. She suspended IFN-alpha therapy and she started non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and beta-blockers. Latent hypothyroidism subsequently developed, but L-thyroxine therapy resulted in a rapid normalization of thyroid function tests.
Falaschi
P
P
Cattedra di Terapia Medica, II Università di Napoli, Italy.
Martocchia
A
A
D'Urso
R
R
Proietti
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013968:Thyroiditis, Subacute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014463:Ultrasonography
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D013974:Thyroxine