Acute suppurative thyroiditis with thyrotoxicosis.

BACKGROUND

Acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) is a rare condition in children, and most children with AST usually have normal thyroid function.

OBJECTIVE

To report a case of thyrotoxicosis complicating AST in a child.

CASE REPORT: A 6-year-old boy with AST presented with the unusual clinical features of severe thyrotoxicosis. Two palpable masses were found to be of firm to hard consistency with tenderness without any acute inflammatory signs on the overlying skin of the thyroid gland. The diagnosis of AST was confirmed by ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration. Thyroid function tests were normal within a week after antibiotic treatment and surgical drainage.

CONCLUSION

Transient thyrotoxicosis complicating AST is very rare in children. Awareness of this unusual complication is important to avoid inappropriate treatment of hyperthyroid disease.