Thyroid abscess: case report and review of the literature.
A thyroid abscess is an infrequently encountered condition with a rarity that is attributable to anatomic and physiologic characteristics of the gland that impart a unique quality of infection resistance. The differential diagnoses for a painful thyroid is limited, with subacute and chronic thyroiditis being the most often-encountered processes. Acute suppurative thyroiditis with abscess formation, although rare, is a formidable clinical scenario with morbid complications. Because the diagnosis of a thyroid abscess is often delayed in lieu of investigating other more common etiologies of thyroiditis, this disease entity may portend to a dismal clinical outcome. The authors report the case of a 53-year-old woman with a thyroid abscess yielding a single microbial isolate believed to be resultant from a urinary tract bacteremia. They also review the literature for discussion of abscess etiologies, presentations, and management strategies.
Department of Surgery, Mercer University School of Medicine, Medical Center of Central Georgia, Macon, Georgia 31201, USA. mherndon@juno.com
Mark D
MD
Herndon
D Benjamin
DB
Christie
Macram M
MM
Ayoub
A Daniel
AD
Duggan
D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*