ASPERGILLUS THYROIDITIS WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM

A 50-year-old woman with a past medical history of steroid dependent a sthma was admitted for exacerbation of her disease. During her hospita l stay, a tracheotomy was performed and a thyroid biopsy was obtained because of the purulent appearance of the thyroid gland. Histology dem onstrated aspergillus. Initially the patient was euthyroid, but 3 mont hs later she developed hypothyroidism. Thyroid antibodies were negativ e. There is no previous report of hypothyroidism developing in a patie nt with aspergillus. The patient was treated with appropriate antibiot ics and L-thyroxine, Steroids were tapered down to the lowest possible dose, but hypothyroidism persisted. This case demonstrates that asper gillus can involve the thyroid gland in immunocompromised hosts and th at hypothyroidism may develop.