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Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare inflammatory-sclerosing thyroid disease, and its aetiology remains unknown. After a surgical biopsy to establish the diagnosis, the treatment of Riedel's thyroiditis is still challenging in most patients. The aim of this article is to report seven patients with Riedel's thyroiditis seen in a department of Endocrinology and Metabolic diseases over a period of 24 years, and based on the patient's data and the review of the literature to discuss the indications of surgery, glucocorticoids, tamoxifen and immunosuppressive drugs in the personalized treatment of patients with Riedel's thyroiditis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Riedel's thyroiditis (RT) was assimilated into the larger spectrum of immunoglobulin IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) in addition to a particular frame of IgG4-related thyroid disease (IgG4-RTD), underlying IgG4-RT, IgG4-associated Hashimoto's thyroiditis (and its fibrotic variant), and IgG4-related Graves's disease. Our objective was to overview recent data on RT, particularly IgG4-RD and IgG4-RTD. The case and study– sample analysis (2019–2023) included 293 articles and selected 18 original studies: nine single case reports (N = 9, female/male = 2/1, aged: 34–79 years, 5/9 patients with serum IgG4 available data, 2/5 with high serum IgG4) and four case series (N = 21; 4/5 series provided data on IgG4 profile, 3/21 had serum IgG4 assays, and 2/3 had abnormally high values). IgG4-RD and thyroid findings were analyzed in three cohorts (N = 25). Another two studies (N = 11) specifically addressed IgG4-RTD components. On presentation, the patients may have hypothyroidism, transitory thyrotoxicosis, goiter, long-term history of positive anti-thyroid antibodies, and hypoechoic ultrasound thyroid pattern. The 5-year analysis (N = 66) showed the rate of serum IgG4 evaluation remained low; normal values do not exclude RT. Mandatory histological and immunohistochemistry reports point out a high content of IgG4-carrying plasma cells and IgG4/IgG ratio. Unless clinically evident, histological confirmation provides a prompt indication of starting corticoid therapy since this is the first-line option. Surgery, if feasible, is selective (non-responders to medical therapy, emergency tracheal intervention, and open/core needle biopsy). Current open issues are identifying the role of serum IgG4 assays in patients with IgG4-RD, finding out if all cases of RT are IgG4-mediated, applying IgG4-RTD criteria of differentiation among four entities, and providing an RT/IgG4-RTD guideline from diagnosis to therapy. It remains that the central aim of approaching RT in daily practice is the early index of suspicion in order to select patients referred for further procedures that provide enough histological/immunohistochemistry material to confirm RT and its high IgG4 burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare variant of thyroiditis, and treatment recommendations are based on case reports. This thyroiditis form is considered among immunoglobulin G4-related diseases. Intense fibrosis of the thyroid gland can cause compression of the surrounding tissues and hypothyroidism. Glucocorticoids are recommended as first-line therapy, and tamoxifen is second-line therapy. Other immunosuppressive agents have also been used in some resistant cases. Our case was presented with a palpable firm mass in the neck, shortness of breath, and hypothyroidism. The exact diagnosis of Riedel's thyroiditis was made after a pathological examination of a true-cut biopsy. We present the successful management of this case with glucocorticoid and tamoxifen combination treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 48‐year‐old woman with a history of primary hypothyroidism, presented with compressive symptoms secondary to a rapid enlargement of a preexisting goiter. She had no clinical signs of hypocalcemia. Biological tests revealed hypoparathyroidism. Cervicothoracic computed tomography scan showed a heterogeneous compressive goiter. The patient was treated with levothyroxine, calcium, and alfacalcidol. A total thyroidectomy was not performed because of the hard adhesion to neighboring structures. Histopathological examination of the thyroid biopsy was consistent with the diagnosis of Riedel's thyroiditis (RT). The patient was treated with glucocorticoids. The outcome was marked by the resolution of compressive symptoms and the decrease of the thyroid gland volume. Serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels reached normal ranges after the discontinuation of vitaminocalcic supplementation. Hypoparathyroidism may be clinically asymptomatic in a patient with RT as in our case. Early administration of glucocorticoids may be effective in reducing the fibrosclerotic process and lead to the recovery of parathyroid dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A 48‐year‐old woman with a history of primary hypothyroidism, presented with compressive symptoms secondary to a rapid enlargement of a preexisting goiter. She had no clinical signs of hypocalcemia. Biological tests revealed hypoparathyroidism. Cervicothoracic computed tomography scan showed a heterogeneous compressive goiter. The patient was treated with levothyroxine, calcium, and alfacalcidol. A total thyroidectomy was not performed because of the hard adhesion to neighboring structures. Histopathological examination of the thyroid biopsy was consistent with the diagnosis of Riedel's thyroiditis (RT). The patient was treated with glucocorticoids. The outcome was marked by the resolution of compressive symptoms and the decrease of the thyroid gland volume. Serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels reached normal ranges after the discontinuation of vitaminocalcic supplementation. Hypoparathyroidism may be clinically asymptomatic in a patient with RT as in our case. Early administration of glucocorticoids may be effective in reducing the fibrosclerotic process and lead to the recovery of parathyroid dysfunction.

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Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare disease characterized by chronic fibrosis. Clinical performance of this disease is dense stony goiter, which can poorly be displaced during palpation. The overgrowth of the goiter can lead to the development of compression syndrome. To diagnose we need to made fine needle biopsy and made the final diagnose according to its results or according to the morphological description of the postoperative material. An important step in the diagnosis of Riedel's thyroiditis is the determination of serum IgG and IgG4 to exclude an IgG4-associated disease. Treatment of this disease includes drug therapy, which is based on glucocorticosteroids administration or surgical treatment when develops compression syndrome. This article presents a clinical case of a patient with Riedel's thyroiditis; the main complaints were associated with the growth of goiter and the development of compression syndrome. In this regard, patient underwent surgery on the thyroid gland, and after this we get final diagnose. Due to feeling unwell, drug therapy with glucocorticosteroids was prescribed, against the background of which we noted a positive trend.

Recently, Riedel’s thyroiditis (RT) was assimilated into the larger spectrum of immunoglobulin IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) in addition to a particular frame of IgG4-related thyroid disease (IgG4-RTD), underlying IgG4-RT, IgG4-associated Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (and its fibrotic variant), and IgG4-related Graves’s disease. Our objective was to overview recent data on RT, particularly IgG4-RD and IgG4-RTD. The case and study– sample analysis (2019–2023) included 293 articles and selected 18 original studies: nine single case reports (N = 9, female/male = 2/1, aged: 34–79 years, 5/9 patients with serum IgG4 available data, 2/5 with high serum IgG4) and four case series (N = 21; 4/5 series provided data on IgG4 profile, 3/21 had serum IgG4 assays, and 2/3 had abnormally high values). IgG4-RD and thyroid findings were analyzed in three cohorts (N = 25). Another two studies (N = 11) specifically addressed IgG4-RTD components. On presentation, the patients may have hypothyroidism, transitory thyrotoxicosis, goiter, long-term history of positive anti-thyroid antibodies, and hypoechoic ultrasound thyroid pattern. The 5-year analysis (N = 66) showed the rate of serum IgG4 evaluation remained low; normal values do not exclude RT. Mandatory histological and immunohistochemistry reports point out a high content of IgG4-carrying plasma cells and IgG4/IgG ratio. Unless clinically evident, histological confirmation provides a prompt indication of starting corticoid therapy since this is the first-line option. Surgery, if feasible, is selective (non-responders to medical therapy, emergency tracheal intervention, and open/core needle biopsy). Current open issues are identifying the role of serum IgG4 assays in patients with IgG4-RD, finding out if all cases of RT are IgG4-mediated, applying IgG4-RTD criteria of differentiation among four entities, and providing an RT/IgG4-RTD guideline from diagnosis to therapy. It remains that the central aim of approaching RT in daily practice is the early index of suspicion in order to select patients referred for further procedures that provide enough histological/immunohistochemistry material to confirm RT and its high IgG4 burden.

Riedel`s thyroiditis is a rare disease with an unknown etiology, which is characterized by replacement of the thyroid gland tissue with a fibrous connective tissue, the main characteristic sign is the stony-hard texture of the gland, extending to the surrounding structures (trachea, esophagus, blood vessels and nerves). Dense adhesion causes clinical symptoms of tracheal compression, such as shortness of breath, hoarseness, coughing and dyspnoea. Regarding functional activity, both euthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis with the subsequent development of hypothyroidism can be observed. A difficult preoperative diagnosis allows only to suspect this disease, as well as differentiate it with some aggressive forms of cancer, and therefore the final diagnosis is possible only after histological and immunohistochemical examinations of postoperative material. The conservative treatment (mainly glucocorticoid drugs) and surgical intervention can be applied. It is necessary to be meticulous about the choice of a treatment method, taking into account the firmly adhesion with surrounding structures and a high risk of complications of surgical treatment of the thyroid gland. This case report describes a patient with a confirmed morphological diagnosis of Riedelapos;s thyroiditis after thyroidectomy. The peculiarity of this case is a clear positive correlation of the occurrence of subfebrile fever with the onset of the disease and its resolution after surgical treatment and a 11-month follow-up period.

Objective: Riedel's thyroiditis (RT) is a very rare chronic fibrosing thyroiditis that is often associated with multifocal fibrosclerosis. Although the relationship of RT and IgG4‐related disease (IgG4‐RD) has been suggested, the expression of IgG and IgG4 in thyroid tissues of patients with RT has seldom been studied. Design: A case series and literature review. Patients and Measurements: We searched our hospital's pathology database and identified five cases of RT between 2000 and 2019. The expression levels of IgG4 and IgG in thyroid tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. We also performed a literature search of the electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI). Eight papers were included in this study. Results: According to immunohistochemistry, the numbers of IgG4+ plasma cells per high‐power field (HPF) of the five RT patients at our hospital were 80, 8, 50, 10 and 22, and the respective IgG4+/IgG+ ratios were 76%, 80%, 43%, 19% and 28%. In the literature, 15 RT patients with confirmed IgG4 and IgG immunohistochemical findings were identified. Only seven of them fulfilled the IgG4‐RD diagnostic criteria in terms of immunohistochemistry (IgG4+ > 10/HPF, IgG4+/IgG+ > 40%). In order to ensure that most RT cases can meet the IgG4 immunohistochemical criteria, an organ‐specific cut‐off value (≥10 IgG4+ plasma cells/HPF and ≥ an IgG4+/IgG ratio of 20%) was finally selected in our study. Conclusion: Our findings of IgG4 expression in patients with RT suggest that a cut‐off of 10 IgG4+ plasma cells/HPF and an IgG4+/IgG ratio of 20% are more suitable diagnostic criteria for RT in IgG4‐RD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IgG4-related disease is a set of symptoms resulting from a chronic, usually multiple organ inflammatory condition which affects various organs. It consists of lymphoplasmacytic infiltrations with attendant fibrosis and deep vein thrombosis. Frequently observed tissue lesions are accompanied by elevated IgG4 levels in serum. The etiopathogenesis of the lesions is of multifactor character and the clinical manifestation of the disease is highly diverse. The diagnostic process is based on the patient’s medical history, clinical examination and additional tests, including a histopathological examination of the infected organ’s tissues. Almost forty different locations of the disease have been reported, including disorders of the endocrine system. IgG4-related endocrinopathies are quite rare. However, it is likely that the diagnosis is under-reported due to lack of awareness of this clinical entity. Despite increasing interest in the subject, there are not enough reliable studies evaluating the link between IgG4-RD and endocrine disorders.

Background: The coexistence of Riedel's thyroiditis and Graves' disease is quite rare, presents a diagnostic dilemma and requires a particular clinical approach. Case report: We describe a 69-year-old man who had two autoimmune processes - Riedel's thyroiditis and Graves' disease, which develop at the same time in different lobes of the thyroid with contradictory manifestations. The diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination. Conclusions: Present case is unique by development and management, especially, it should be noted that iodine deficient thyroid diseases are endemic to the Caucasus region (Georgia), although the present case is the only one in our observation period (2016- 2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the case of two patients of 67 and 68 years old, both had a history of smoking and they started suffering with organomegaly and elevated serum globulins. The first patient presented parotidomegaly, xerostomia, xerophthalmia, recurrent uveitis and interstitial pneumonitis; a minor salivary gland biopsy was performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of systemic disease related to IgG4. The second patient presented a stony thyroid tumor, thyroidectomy was performed and the result of biopsy was Riedel's thyroditis (organ-specific thyroid disease related to IgG4). The initial presentation of the disease by IgG4 can be very nonspecific. The manifestations presented by the patients can be confused with Sjögren's syndrome or sarcoidosis (case 1) and with malignancy (case 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IgG4-related disease is a set of symptoms resulting from a chronic, usually multiple organ inflammatory condition which affects various organs. It consists of lymphoplasmacytic infiltrations with attendant fibrosis and deep vein thrombosis. Frequently observed tissue lesions are accompanied by elevated IgG4 levels in serum. The etiopathogenesis of the lesions is of multifactor character and the clinical manifestation of the disease is highly diverse. The diagnostic process is based on the patient's medical history, clinical examination and additional tests, including a histopathological examination of the infected organ's tissues. Almost forty different locations of the disease have been reported, including disorders of the endocrine system. IgG4-related endocrinopathies are quite rare. However, it is likely that the diagnosis is under-reported due to lack of awareness of this clinical entity. Despite increasing interest in the subject, there are not enough reliable studies evaluating the link between IgG4-RD and endocrine disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare type of chronic thyroiditis, associated with fibroinflammatory process and invasion into surrounding tissues, leading to compressive symptoms. A 45-year-old man had a left thyroid mass, presenting with hypotension and bradycardia many times. He was diagnosed with vasovagal reflex caused by cervical vessel compression due to a thyroid lesion. We performed the emergency operation, and most of the left thyroid was removed to relieve the compression on cervical vessels. The result of pathology proved to be Riedel's thyroiditis. The vasovagal reflex did not occur any more during the 28-month follow up, except on the 3rd day after the surgery. Six months after the thyroidectomy, the patient was found to have retroperitoneal fibrosis, diagnosed by biopsy during a laparotomy for biliary disease. Riedel's thyroiditis can lead to a vasovagal episode and might not be a primary thyroid disease but rather a manifestation of the systemic disorder, multifocal fibrosclerosis.

This article describes an unusual case of Riedel's thyroiditis and discusses its imagery, pathology, and treatment.

Riedel's thyroiditis, known as invasive fibrous thyroiditis, is a very rare form of chronic thyroiditis. It is hard to make the diagnosis without surgical biopsy. We present a case of Riedel's thyroiditis in a 52-year-old female with past history of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. She suffered from bilateral neck pain, which radiated to both lower jaws. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 125 mm/hour. Subacute thyroiditis superimposed on Hashimoto's thyroiditis was diagnosed and treated with steroid. However the response was poor and she had a history of severe peptic ulcer. To avoid inducing the peptic ulcer by steroid, she received bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy. During surgery, the thyroid had severe adhesion to surrounding soft tissue and the pathology showed Riedel's thyroiditis. The neck pain improved after thyroidectomy. Tamoxifen has been given for 8 months and the size of remnant thyroid decreased to 8 mm. We concluded that combined thyroidectomy and tamoxifen successfully cured a patient with Riedel's thyroiditis.

Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare inflammatory process which not only involves thyroid gland but also the surrounding vital structures. It may also be associated with various forms of systemic fibrotic disorders. The exact etiology is not known, but currently most favored view is that of a localized form of systemic fibrotic process. We report a case of Riedel's thyroiditis in a patient, highlighting a rare presentation mimicking anaplastic carcinoma. Clinical awareness of such presentation of Riedel's thyroiditis would enhance our ability to make this diagnosis promptly. Apart from avoiding or minimizing aggressive surgical intervention, awareness of such clinical entity may avoid complications and hence morbidity. Our case also highlights the difficulty in histological diagnosis which is very important to rule out malignancy and avoiding any major surgical intervention fraught with complications. Good response to high dose steroids as seen in our case is the current accepted treatment of choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Pathologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

IgG4-related disease is a newly identified syndrome characterized by high serum IgG4 levels and increased IgG4-positive plasma cells in involved organs. The incidence of IgG4-related thyroiditis in the Caucasian population of Europe is unknown. We investigated formalin-fixed thyroid gland samples of 216 patients (191 Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 5 Riedel's thyroiditis, and 20 goiters, as controls), morphologically, and immunohistochemically. Cases were divided into two groups: IgG4-related Hashimoto's thyroiditis (24 cases) together with Riedel thyroiditis (1 case) and 171 non-IgG4-related thyroiditis. Compared to the non-IgG4-related cases, IgG4-related thyroiditis showed a higher IgG4/IgG ratio (0.6 vs. 0.1, p < 0.0001), a higher median IgG4 count (45.2 vs. 6.2, p < 0.0001), an association with younger age (42.1 vs. 48.1 years, p = 0.036), and a lower female-to-male ratio (11:1 vs. 17.5:1). Fibrous variant of Hashimoto's thyroiditis was diagnosed in 23 of the 24 IgG4-related cases (96 %) and in 13 of 167 (18 %, p > 0.001) non-IgG4-related cases. The single case of IgG4-related Riedel's thyroiditis also showed a higher median IgG4 plasma cell count (56.3 vs. 14.3) and a higher IgG4/IgG ratio (0.5 vs. 0.2) than the four cases of non-IgG4-related Riedel's thyroiditis. Our data suggests the incidence of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) of the thyroid gland in Europe is considerably lower than that observed in other studies. A significant elevation of IgG4-positive plasma cells was only found in a small group of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and then accompanied by intense fibrosis, indicating an association with IgG4-RD. Morphologically, IgG4-RD of the thyroid gland differs from that in other organ systems, exhibiting a dense fibrosis without intense eosinophilia or obliterative phlebitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare type of chronic thyroiditis, associated with fibroinflammatory process and invasion into surrounding tissues, leading to compressive symptoms. A 45-year-old man had a left thyroid mass, presenting with hypotension and bradycardia many times. He was diagnosed with vasovagal reflex caused by cervical vessel compression due to a thyroid lesion. We performed the emergency operation, and most of the left thyroid was removed to relieve the compression on cervical vessels. The result of pathology proved to be Riedel's thyroiditis. The vasovagal reflex did not occur any more during the 28-month follow up, except on the 3 rd day after the surgery. Six months after the thyroidectomy, the patient was found to have retroperitoneal fibrosis, diagnosed by biopsy during a laparotomy for biliary disease. Riedel's thyroiditis can lead to a vasovagal episode and might not be a primary thyroid disease but rather a manifestation of the systemic disorder, multifocal fibrosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A case of thyroidal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma mimicking IgG4-related disease is described. A 54-year-old male presented with acute swelling of the anterior neck. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC), malignant lymphoma (ML), or acute deterioration of Hashimoto's thyroiditis were initially suspected, and an emergent tracheostomy was required for progressive airway obstruction; a simultaneous biopsy from the thyroid tissue was performed. Histopathologically, the lesion consisted of sclerotic fibrosis and diffuse and dense infiltration by small lymphoid cells without atypia and plasma cells, many of which were IgG4-positive. Blood examination also revealed high serum IgG4 levels. Riedel's thyroiditis was suspected. However, despite medical treatments, a firm swelling of the thyroid still remained. In an in situ hybridization study, IgG4-negative plasma cells showed immunoglobulin light-chain restriction (κ-monotype), and immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) chain gene monoclonal re-arrangement was detected by polymerase chain reaction. The lesion was finally diagnosed as MALT lymphoma. When IgG4-related disease is suspected, it is important to thoroughly exclude other possibilities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease has become the focus of interest in recent years. The disease is characterized by inflammation of the organs involved, often with a macroscopic appearance suggestive of a tumor, elevated immuno-globulin G4 levels, immunoglobulin G4-positive plasma cell infiltration on histological examination, fibrosis, oblit-erative phlebitis, and typically a rapid therapeutic response to corticosteroids. The disease can show a variety of organ manifestations, with frequent involvement of exocrine glands. Among the endocrine organs, symptoms may appear in the thyroid gland and the pituitary gland. The criteria for immunoglobulin G4-related hypophysitis were formu-lated in 2011. Until a few years ago, a condition formerly known as Riedel's thyroiditis was identified as immuno-globulin G4-related thyroiditis. Based on the criteria system for immunoglobulin G4-related thyroid diseases pub-lished in 2021, some patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease can also be classified as immunoglobulin G4-related thyroid disease. The identification of immunoglobulin G4-related endocrine diseases and the establishment of an accurate diagnosis can modify the treatment of the patient and determine the course of the disease. Other organ manifestations should be sought in patients with immunoglobulin G4-related endocrine disease and lifelong immunological follow-up is warranted.

Riedel''s thyroiditis, known as invasive fibrous thyroiditis, is a very rare form of chronic thyroiditis. It is hard to make the diagnosis without surgical biopsy. We present a case of Riedel''s thyroiditis in a 52-year-old female with past history of Hashimoto''s thyroiditis. She suffered from bilateral neck pain, which radiated to both lower jaws. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 125 mm/hour. Subacute thyroiditis superimposed on Hashimoto''s thyroiditis was diagnosed and treated with steroid. However the response was poor and she had a history of severe peptic ulcer. To avoid inducing the peptic ulcer by steroid, she received bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy. During surgery, the thyroid had severe adhesion to surrounding soft tissue and the pathology showed Riedel''s thyroiditis. The neck pain improved after thyroidectomy. Tamoxifen has been given for 8 months and the size of remnant thyroid decreased to 8 mm. We concluded that combined thyroidectomy and tamoxifen successfully cured a patient with Riedel''s thyroiditis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rapidly emerging disorder now known as IgG-related disease (IgG-RD) includes a variety of clinical entities once regarded as being entirely separate diseases. Manifestations of IgG-RD have now been reported in essentially all organ systems. Regardless of which organ is involved, tissue biopsies reveal striking histopathological similarities. The hallmark pathology findings are diffuse lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates, abundant IgG-positive plasma cells, modest tissue eosinophilia, and extensive fibrosis. Tumorous swelling and obliterative phlebitis are other frequently observed features. Polyclonal elevations of serum IgG are found in approximately 70% of patients. Many questions pertaining to the etiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical features, therapy, disease monitoring, and long-term outcomes remain to be addressed. This paper focuses on the clinical and pathological features of IgG-RD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unusual presentations of thyroid neoplasms have been reported from time to time. Four such cases of bizarre presentations of thyroid malignancies seen in the ENT Department of ESIC Hospital, K.K. Nagar, Chennai, India are presented. These cases highlight certain important issues concerning the diagnosis and management. A review of the literature on the subject is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No surgical standard for Riedel’s thyroiditis (RT) is established. Salvage surgery follows severe cervical and compressive airway symptoms or strong suspicion of malignancy. Obscured planes and multi-infiltrative extension prevent sufficient surgery with considerate complications. No alternative definitive treatment is available. In failing conservative treatment, the role of surgery in RT remains unclear. Clinical manifestation, treatment, outcome and follow-up in a unique series of eight consecutive patients with RT are presented. Seven female patients and one male patient with cervical tumor growth or thyroiditis underwent four total and three sub-total thyroidectomies, respectively, one patient declined remedial surgery. Complications were one bilateral laryngeal nerve palsy and one transient hypoparathyroidism. Histology confirmed RT with perithyroidal extension and excluded malignancy in all. Symptomatic relief of cervical and airway obstruction was achieved in all. Follow-up revealed two extensive mediastinal RT recurrences 1 and 6 years after surgery. Favourable symptomatic outcome and alleviation of steroids in the majority render surgery for RT valuable when conservative treatment fails. However, more radical procedures show no advantages and recurrences are not prevented. The demanding technique in RT requires special surgical expertise and highly recommends intra-operative neuromonitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A case of Riedel''s thyroiditis, which required differential diagnosis from malignant tumor of the thyroid gland, and the strategy of surgical treatment is reported. Differential diagnosis prior to the treatment was difficult, but the diagnosis was decided by the histopathological findings of an open biopsy specimen obtained simultaneously in an emergent tracheostomy required for progressive airway stenosis. First-choice treatment for Riedel''s thyroiditis has been reported to be steroid administration, however, this treatment was difficult for the present case due to continuous steroid treatment for complicated neuro-Behçet''s disease. Therefore, vaporization of the lesion using KTP-LASER and T-tube placement was chosen for the surgical treatment strategy of this patient. After 1 year of follow-up since the operation, the T-tube was removed and the tracheostoma was closed, and the patient has remained symptom free for years. Careful long-term follow-up is still needed for this patient to prevent recurrence of the disease, subsequent complications of autoimmune diseases, and thyroid malignancies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We describe the usage of positron emission tomography (PET) as an aid in the initial diagnosis and follow-up of Riedel''s thyroiditis. A 41-year-old patient was admitted for an enlarged and tender thyroid gland in association with severe systemic symptoms of inflammation. Imaging with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and PET demonstrated an intensive uptake of FDG in both lobes of the thyroid gland as an indication of severe inflammation. The diagnosis of Riedel''s thyroiditis was confirmed by the histological findings of biopsy specimens taken during a palliative thyroid resection. The inflammatory symptoms and local pain dramatically disappeared after commencement of high-dose corticosteroid therapy. A follow-up PET scan after 2 weeks of corticosteroid treatment showed a 60% decrease in the uptake of FDG in the thyroid. This indicates that FDG metabolic activity can also be used to assess a patient''s response to therapy in Riedel''s thyroiditis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of the thyroid characterised by an invasive fibrotic process. We present a lady with newly diagnosed hypothyroidism, rapidly enlarging hard, fixed goitre, strongly positive thyroid antibodies and raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). A tru-cut biopsy confirmed Riedel's struma. Regression of the goitre and reduction of antibody titres occurred after starting prednisolone, which was stopped after 10 months. Six months later, she presented with renal failure due to retroperitoneal fibrosis that was successfully treated by reinstitution of steroids and ureteric stenting. Very high titres of thyroid antibodies and hypothyroidism predating development of goitre suggest coexistence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Riedel's thyroiditis. Tru-cut biopsy obviated the need for open thyroidectomy. A predominantly inflammatory as opposed to fibrotic thyroid histology may predict good response to steroids. Relapse following steroid withdrawal may not only be in the thyroid but also at other sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]