Int J Thyroidol.  2018 May;11(1):49-55. 10.11106/ijt.2018.11.1.49.

Recurrent Painless Thyroiditis in Patients with History of Postpartum Thyroiditis

• Yoo WS

• KMID: 2428071
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11106/ijt.2018.11.1.49

Abstract

It is well known that the long-term prognosis of postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) is excellent except recurrent PPT in subsequent pregnancies and risk of progression to permanent hypothyroidism in some patients. However, the prospective observation of PPT patients who have neither consecutive gestation nor any evidence of hypothyroidism were limited. We describe three patients who have history of PPT and showed repeated painless thyroiditis in the span of more than ten years. The clinical courses of repeated painless thyroiditis were the transient thyrotoxicosis, self-limited, and not related to pregnancy. Based on the clinical courses of our three patients, it is recommended to remember that transient painless thyroiditis could be repeated as a possible long-term course of the patients with history of PPT.

Keyword

Postpartum thyroiditis; Long-term prognosis; Painless thyroiditis

MeSH Terms

Humans
Hypothyroidism
Postpartum Period*
Postpartum Thyroiditis*
Pregnancy
Prognosis
Prospective Studies
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroiditis*
Thyrotoxicosis

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Thyroid scans of painless thyroiditis episodes in cases 1 and 3.

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  Fig. 2. Thyroid ultrasonographic findings of painless thyroiditis episodes in the three cases.

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