Painful Hashimoto Thyroiditis in a 7-Year-Old Girl: Differential Diagnosis and Medical Treatment
10.11106/ijt.2021.14.1.50
- Author:
Gihong PARK
1
;
Kyungchul SONG
;
Hyun Joo SHIN
;
Hyun Wook CHAE
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, Severance Children’s Hospital, Endocrine Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Publication Type:CASE REPORTS
- From:International Journal of Thyroidology
2021;14(1):50-54
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Painful Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is a rare pediatric condition. Because of the rarity of painful HT, it can be misdiagnosed as other thyroid diseases, and there is limited evidence regarding its clinical course and treatment. A 7-year-old girl presented to the emergency room with neck pain. A physical examination revealed diffusely enlarged thyroid gland with firm consistency and without tenderness. Her serum free thyroxine level was decreased and levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroglobulin antibody, and thyroid-stimulating antibody were elevated. The ultrasonography revealed a diffusely enlarged thyroid gland with homogeneously hypoechoic parenchyma and lobulated contours. She was diagnosed with painful HT based on the clinical presentations, laboratory tests, and ultrasonography findings, and was treated with a steroid, levothyroxine, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, after which her clinical symptoms improved dramatically. We should consider the possibility of painful HT in children with neck pain; HT could be treated with medical treatment.
