De Quervain's disease (Subacute thyroiditis)

It is an inflammatory disorder of the thyroid that occurs most often in parallel with viral inflammation of the upper part of the respiratory system or immediately after it, but it can also occur as part of Q-fever, sarcoidosis and various dental procedures.

Symptoms and risk for developing De Quervain's disease

This inflammatory disorder is characterized by a sudden appearance with pronounced symptoms of inflammation (elevated body temperature, general weakness), an extremely painful thyroid to the touch, swallowing and movements in the neck. Also, symptoms of increased thyroid function often occur with an almost regularly reduced TSH value and normal/ elevated values of T4 and/or T3. People who are carriers of the HLA-Bw35 and HLA-B67 genotypes have a higher risk of developing De Quervain's disease compared to the rest of the population.

Diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis is made by a specialist and ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland and laboratory tests with the determination of thyroid hormones and inflammatory parameters. Treatment is carried out using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and sometimes corticosteroids.

It is not unusual for the disease to last several weeks, several months, even up to a year and to reoccur. As a complication, 50% of patients may experience permanently reduced thyroid function, which needs to be treated with hormone therapy.