LOCALIZED MANIFESTATIONS OF SUBACUTE THYROIDITIS PRESENTING AS SOLITARY TRANSIENT COLD THYROID-NODULES - A REPORT OF 11 PATIENTS

Eleven patients, each with a painful solitary cold nodule of the thyro id were evaluated. All patients had subacute thyroiditis associated wi th neck pain and tenderness. Despite elevated sedimentation rate and i ncreased thyroglobulin levels, nine of the patients were euthyroid, an d I-131 uptake was normal in six. In all patients, thyroid scintigraph y demonstrated a solitary cold nodule that resolved regardless of anti -inflammatory therapy, Granulomatous subacute thyroiditis is character ized by decreased I-131 uptake accompanied by transient hyperthyroidis m. The uncommon localized variant of this entity may present with a pa inful solitary nodule, normal or only moderately decreased I-131 uptak e, and should be suspected even in euthyroid patients.