[Thyroiditis : diagnostic and therapeutic features (excluding Graves disease and myxedema) : 13 case-reports...

The incidence of De Quervain's thyroiditis is probably underestimated, since a radioiodine uptake study is not performed in all cases. An isolated cold nodule can reveal Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In other cases, the diagnosis is suggested by otalgia and positive tests for antimicrosomial antibodies. Surgery is often necessary because of the possible association with cancer ; the procedure should be extensive since spontaneously the outcome is often thyroid insufficiency.