Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: COVID-19 in Kosovo was introduced in March 2020 as a global pandemic started in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The link between COVID-19 and diabetes was seen in the first cases but was if this disease is interfering in other endocrine glands was still unclear. In May 2020 we found the first case of subacute thyroid immediately after COVID-19 which case trigger us for further observation of its spread.

Aim: To investigate the clinical forms and laboratory follow-up of cases with subacute thyroiditis in COVID-19.

Material and methods: In this presentation we report for 7 patients with subacute thyroid de Quervain and positive serology for COVID-19 with demographic, biochemical, clinical and imaging data.

Results: From 7 patients (6 female and 1 male), biochemical data showed increases in C-reactive protein (in some of them triple digits), increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, increased free fractions of triiodothyronine and thyroxine hormones such as inhibition of thyrotropin, serological tests (IgM and IgG) were positive for infection with COVID-19. All cases presented with neck pain followed with headache in some of them, fatigue and marked laziness as well as fever. Typical changes of subacute thyroiditis have been identified on ultrasound (Fig.1) and scintigraphy (Fig.2). The ways in which they were get infection with COVID 19 differed diametrically. Almost all have been treated with corticosteroids with complete improvement of inflammatory parameters and normalization of thyroid hormones.

Conclusion: The presentation of such cases helps physicians of different profiles to identify complications of COVID-19 and especially such rare cases of subacute thyroiditis which may be underestimated during clinical practice. Keywords: subacute thyroiditis, COVID-19, Kosovo