ACUTE SUPPURATIVE THYROIDITIS IN AN ASYMPTOMATIC WOMAN - AN ATYPICAL PRESENTATION SIMULATING THYROID-CARCINOMA

Patients with acute suppurative thyroiditis usually have pain or tende rness in the anterior part of the neck associated with erythema and dy sphagia. A 26-year-old Japanese woman with none of these symptoms pres ented with a left anterior cervical mass. Since physical examination a nd laboratory studies showed a firm and irregular tumour located in th e left robe of the thyroid without any inflammatory signs, we made a d iagnosis of thyroid carcinoma. After surgery, histological examination of the thyroid specimen revealed various changes of severe inflammati on, and a barium swallow demonstrated a left pyriform sinus fistula. W e describe here a unique case of acute suppurative thyroiditis in an a symptomatic woman.