Background: Suppurative thyroiditis with abscess formation is an infrequent presentation of thyroiditis that is very difficult to diagnose due to its rarity and no specificity of symptoms. It accounts for less than 1% of all thyroid disorders. Traditionally, patients who develop these conditions have some kind of immune deficiency since the thyroid gland has a particular resilience against infections. On the other hand, we report a unique case of a sincere thyroid abscess in a young, healthy female with no comorbidities or anatomic malformations.
Case presentation:
A 42-year-old female patient presented with painful swelling and redness on the right side of the neck. She had fever, fatigue, and dysphagia. Laboratory tests revealed leucocytosis, elevated CRP and ESR. Upon diagnosis of a thyroid abscess by U/S and CT Neck , the patient underwent surgery and was appropriately treated with antibiotics, resulting in a successful recovery and discharge from the hospital. Conclusion: Though rare, thyroid abscesses can mimic many common neck pathologies such as goiters , adenomas, intracystic bleedings, pharyngeal abscesses, and subacute thyroiditis.
A high level of suspicion for a thyroid abscess must be maintained in any patient presenting with an anterior neck swelling. To avoid the morbidity and mortality associated with delayed diagnoses, potential cases of thyroid abscess should be actively anticipated. Thus, the timely administration of treatment could improve clinical outcomes.
Enas I Alaqeab1, Abdul Matin1, Alaa Almanassra1
1 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick