title: Thyroid tuberculosis.
abstract: Although the association of thyroid disorders with tuberculosis has been known for a long time, the diagnosis of thyroid tuberculosis is rare. Differential diagnosis can be very difficult without fine needle aspiration. The clinical course of the disease may resemble toxic goiter or acute thyroiditis or may follow a subacute or chronic pattern without specific symptomatology. We describe a 49-year old male patient with thyroid tuberculosis presenting as thyroid enlargement, fever, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, normal thyroid function tests, and a chest x-ray indicating the presence of a lesion with distinct calcification in the lower lobe of the right lung. Tuberculosis of the thyroid gland, although very rare, should be considered as a possible diagnosis when localized swelling, cold abscess or thyroid nodule with or without a cystic component are present.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical Therapeutics and Evgenidion Hospital, Athens University School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terzidis
authors.forename: Panagoula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tourli
authors.forename: Erasmia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kiapekou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alevizaki
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014383:Tuberculosis, Endocrine / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging