Subacute Thyroiditis In The Western Region of Saudi Arabia
Journal Title: Turkish Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism - Year 2004, Vol 8, Issue 4
Abstract
The aim of this study is to assess the clinical presentation of 23 patients with subacute thyroiditis and the diagnostic value of radionuclear scan at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This is a cohort study which consists of all the patients who visited the Endocrinology clinic with a suspected diagnosis of subacute thyroiditis between July 2002 and July 2004. Medical charts including data of the age, sex, clinical presentation, systemic symptoms and clinical examination of the thyroid gland were reviewed. The laboratory data included WBC count and its differential count, ESR, thyroid function test and thyroid antibodies. The radionuclear scan results were also noted. The mode of therapy provided to patients and the outcome of the treatment during a follow up period of two years was reported. A t otal of 23 adult patients with subacute thyroiditis (15 females and 8 males with a female to male ratio 1.9:1) were reviewed over a two year period. The mean age was 35.8±9.2 years. Eighteen patients (78%) had an upper respiratory tract infection at the initial clinical presentation. Twenty patients (87%) visited an ENT specialist for a sore throat and an abnormal sensation in the throat at least two weeks before presentation to the endocrinologist. Two patients were admitted to a medical unit with a diagnosis of fever of unknown origin for four weeks. All patients had an elevated FT4 (35.7±19.8 pmol/L) and a suppressed TSH (0.043±0.065 IU). Radionuclear san showed either no uptake at all in 12 patients or minimal uptake in 11 patients (0.32±0.55%). Eight patients (35%) received predinsolone therapy alone with an average dose of 30-40 mg daily for 7-8 days; 7 patients (30%) were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs only. Eight (35%) patients were treated with both NSAIDs and corticosteroids. Hypothyroidism, with elevated TSH, was observed in 6 (26%) of our patients with positive thyroid antibodies during the first 6 months of follow up. There were no reported cases of recurrent or permanent hypothyroidism in our cohort study. Subacute thyroiditis is an uncommon disease that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute anterior neck pain, sore throat and fever especially if patients do not respond to treatment. In the clinical setting, radioiodine uptake can help exclude other diseases, confirm the diagnosis and expedite the initiation of appropriate therapy to relieve symptoms.
Authors and Affiliations
Faiza A. Qari, Abdulroaf A. Maimani
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP84414
- DOI -
- Views 106
- Downloads 0
Use of Metformin in Pregnancy: A Survey of Turkish Physicians’ Attitudes
Objective: Although metformin crosses the placenta, there is no current evidence whether the use of metformin in pregnancy is associated with increased risk of fetal and maternal complications. The aim of this present st...
Advanced Age and Mild Thyrotoxicosis are Associated with Nodular Goiter in Graves Disease
Objective: The primary goal of this study is to evaluate predictors of nodular goiter in Graves Disease (GD). Materials and Methods: A total of 202 consecutive patients (mean age: 45; 145 female, 57 male) were enrolled....
Thyrotropin Receptor Antibody Levels in Patients with Autoimmune Thyroid Disease in Iodine Deficient Areas
In this study, we investigated Thyrotropin Receptor Antibody (TRab) levels in Hashimoto and Graves' diseases. A total of 189 patients and 25 controls were assessed, retrospectively. Fifty-four of the 189 patients had eut...
Evaluation of Clinical Remission in IDDM Patiets Treated With Intravenous Insulin at Onset: Three years follow-up results
It has been suggested that strict metabolic control starting from the first weeks of insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM) is a major factor achieving clinical remission. This is usually accompanied with an increase in C-pep...
Comparison of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma and Carcinoma
Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate some preoperative and postoperative clinical and histopathological characteristics of patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). We also compared these features...