LYMPHOMA OF THE THYROID MIMICKING THYROIDITIS IN A PATIENT WITH THE ACQUIRED-IMMUNE-DEFICIENCY-SYNDROME

A 35-year-old man with AIDS and a history of a remission from the lymp homa of the right tonsil (previously treated with chemotherapy and rad iation) presented with a variety of clinical, laboratory and radiologi cal findings strongly suggestive of subacute thyroiditis. Fine needle aspiration biopsy failed to establish the tissue diagnosis. Pathologic al examination of the thyroid tissue obtained during an open surgical biopsy revealed a lymphoma. Appropriate chemotherapy produced a rapid clinical and laboratory improvement manifested by the reduction of the goiter and restoration of a euthyroid state. Hypothyroidism subsequen tly developed, but therapy with thyroid hormone resulted in a rapid no rmalization of thyroid function tests, The patient expired because of AIDS-related complications.