Korean J Med.  2008 Aug;75(2):242-245.

A case of acute suppurative thyroiditis with thyrotoxicosis

• Yoo CH
• Kim YN
• Shon CB
• Park EH
• Choi YS
• Park YH
• Kim JH

Abstract

Acute suppurative thryroiditis is a rare disease because the thyroid gland is resistant to infection. Thyroid function tests are usually normal in acute suppurative thryroiditis. We care for a patient with acute suppurative thryroiditis and associated thyrotoxicosis. A 73-year-old diabetic woman presented with pain over the thyroid gland and an elevated serum thyroid hormone level and decreased radioiodine uptake, as occurs in subacute thyroiditis. A neck computed tomography showed an abscess in the right lobe of the thyroid gland. A neutrophilic infiltration was shown in a fine needle aspiration biopsy, and Gram negative Burkholderia gladioli grew from the aspirate culture. Antibiotic treatment ameliorated the symptoms of infection, followed by normalization of thyroid function.

Keyword

Acute suppurative thryroiditis; Thyrotoxicosis; Burkholderia gladioli

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Aged
Biopsy
Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Burkholderia gladioli
Female
Humans
Neck
Neutrophils
Rare Diseases
Thyroid Function Tests
Thyroid Gland
Thyroiditis, Subacute
Thyroiditis, Suppurative
Thyrotoxicosis