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Painful Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis as an Indication for Thyroidectomy: Clinical Characteristics and Outcome in Seven Patients

Thyroid Study Unit, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Leslie J. DeGroot, Thyroid Study Unit, Endocrinology Section, Department of Medicine, MC 3090, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637. E-mail: ldegroot{at}medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.

Patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), usually present with goiter, hypothyroidism, or both. Thyroid pain and tenderness are rare and suggest an alternative diagnosis of subacute granulomatous thyroiditis or other forms of thyroiditis. We report seven patients with painful HT who had temporary or no relief from L-thyroxine replacement or steroid treatment and required surgical intervention for unremitting pain. Antithyroid antibodies were elevated in all except one patient, in whom fine-needle aspiration and surgical pathology were diagnostic of HT. All patients underwent either a subtotal or near-total thyroidectomy. Pathology showed lymphocytic thyroiditis in all specimens, with varying degrees of fibrosis. Giant cells and granulomas characteristic of subacute thyroiditis were not seen. After surgery, four patients obtained total and permanent relief of pain after subtotal (two patients) or near total (two patients) thyroidectomy, whereas one patient had minimal residual discomfort. One patient had relapse of pain, despite adjunct radioiodine ablation. In this patient with documented total thyroid ablation but persistent pain, the overall clinical picture suggested a strong psychological element in her medical problem. In conclusion, thyroidectomy is an uncommon but necessary therapy for patients with painful HT not responding to medical therapy.

Abbreviations: CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; FNA, fine-needle aspiration; FTI, free T₄ index; HT, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis; NSAID, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug; RAIU, radioactive iodine uptake; SAT, subacute thyroiditis; TPO, thyroid peroxidase; URTI, upper respiratory tract infection.