[Acute suppurative thyroiditis: A case report]

Acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) is an extremely rare and potentially life-threatening condition, which can at first be difficult to differentiate from the far more common subacute thyroiditis (SAT). AST is most often described in patients with immunosuppression, or in patients with a pre-existing thyroid disease or anatomical structural defect, such as a pyriform sinus fistula. Here, we describe a case where a 37-year-old immunocompromised woman presented with intermittent fever, fatigue, erythema and tenderness of the anterior neck. TSH was suppressed and free T3 and T4 were elevated. She was prescribed Prednisolone 30 mg due to suspicion of SAT, but her symptoms from the anterior neck escalated. She developed a thyroid abscess, and was successfully treated with surgical drainage and oral antibiotics.