Subacute Thyroiditis in a Child

Objective: The objective of this report is to describe the presentation, disease course, and management of subacute thyroiditis (SAT) in children. SAT is a rare cause of thyroiditis in children and can be mistaken for acute suppurative thyroiditis, which may be more common in pediatrics.Methods: We present a 7-year-old female, who had painful thyroid enlargement, fever, and thyrotoxicosis.Results: Laboratory evaluation showed high white blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and free thyroxine levels. Thyroid-stimulating hormone was low. A computed tomography scan of the neck showed intrathyroidal fluid collection consistent with an abscess. She was treated with clindamycin, with no relief of fever and pain. Thyroid ultrasound showed diffuse enlargement of the thyroid lobes with hypoechoic areas, and no fluid accumulation, consistent with SAT. She was treated with intravenous ketorolac with relief of pain and fever, but these symptoms recurred when she was changed to oral ibuprofen. Her symptoms resolved with prednisolone at 1 mg/kg.Conclusion: Based on the limited number of reports in the literature, SAT in children appears to be unusual and may be less common than acute bacterial thyroiditis. In pediatric practice it is important to make the distinction between SAT and acute bacterial thyroiditis.Abbreviations: AST = acute suppurative thyroiditis; FT4 = free thyroxine; SAT = subacute thyroiditis; TSH = thyroid-stimulating hormone