Subacute thyroiditis associated with COVID-19

Shaikh Abdul Matin Mattar, Samuel Ji Quan Koh, Suresh Rama Chandran, Benjamin Pei Zhi Cherng, Shaikh Abdul Matin Mattar, Samuel Ji Quan Koh, Suresh Rama Chandran, Benjamin Pei Zhi Cherng

Abstract

We report a case of a hospitalised patient with COVID-19 who developed subacute thyroiditis in association with SARS-COV-2 infection. The patient presented with tachycardia, anterior neck pain and thyroid function tests revealing hyperthyroidism together with consistent ultrasonographic evidence suggesting subacute thyroiditis. Treatment with corticosteroids resulted in rapid clinical resolution. This case illustrates that subacute thyroiditis associated with viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 should be recognised as a complication of COVID-19 and considered as a differential diagnosis when infected patients present with tachycardia without evidence of progression of COVID-19 illness.

Keywords: endocrinology; hyperthyroidism; thyroid disease.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ultrasound of the left lobe of the thyroid gland showing an enlarged lobe with reduced blood flow on Doppler study. A hypoechoic heterogenous area with ill-defined margins corresponded to the palpable hard region on the left lobe of the thyroid.

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Source: PubMed

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