Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Thyroiditis is ‘the disorder in which there is inflammation of the thyroid gland’. If diagnosed earlier have often good chances of recovery. Limited data is available related to this problem from low income countries and hence there is delay in the diagnosis and management of this important disorder. The objective of the study was to assess the clinical presentations and early outcome of patients presenting with thyroiditis in a tertiary care hospital.

Design/methods: This case series was conducted from December 2013 to September 2014. Patients between 18 and 70 years of age with acute onset of thyroiditis confirmed on thyroid scan or clinical judgment in cases of contraindication of thyroid scan presenting to the out patient services was included in the study. Pregnant females, psychiatric illnesses, those patients having other chronic illnesses were excluded from the study. Patients were followed for 6 months.

Results: A total of 26 patients with thyroiditis attended the endocrine clinic. Mean age of patients was 41.2±11.12 years. There were 18 (69.2%) females. Clinical presentations (signs) were fever (65.4%), tender neck (23.1%), goitre (19.2%), localised tenderness in neck, and palpable lymph nodes (26.9%). Major symptoms reported were sore throat (69.2%), weight loss (38.5%) whereas upper respiratory tract infection, thyroid pain, tremor, sweating and fever of unknown origin in 26.9% cases. All the patients had raised ESR. Low TSH <0.4 was seen in 88.5 and 57.7% had raised free T₄ >1.8. Complete recovery was seen in 88.5% patients while 11.5% had early hypothyroidism.

Conclusion: Fever and sore throat were the main presenting features of thyroiditis patients. ESR was raised in all patients. Majority of patients had complete recovery with appropriate management.