[A painful inflammation of the thyroid].
Four women aged 30, 29, 52 and 43 years presented with what appeared to be subacute thyroiditis (De Quervain's thyroiditis). This disease is characterized by fatigue, a painful thyroid gland and thyrotoxic manifestations. The diagnosis is further based on a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and low tracer uptake during thyroid scintigraphy. Only the first patient showed a typical course. In the second and third ones the painful thyroid was associated with nodular enlargement. Fine needle aspiration cytology was at first consistent with subacute thyroiditis but a repeated aspiration showed papillary carcinoma in the second and anaplastic carcinoma in the third patient. In the fourth one, subacute thyroiditis was accompanied by normochromic anaemia, a low serum albumin concentration and liver function disorders. She made a full recovery without treatment. Thyroid malignancies can mimic subacute thyroiditis. Persistent nodular enlargement of the thyroid is suspicious and requires careful investigation.
Academisch Ziekenhuis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.
P
P
Lips
G J
GJ
Teule
J C
JC
van der Linden
R O
RO
Gans
D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013968:Thyroiditis, Subacute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes
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