Subacute thyroiditis - symptoms, treatment

Thyroiditis de Quervin is an inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland. The etiology is supposedly viral, so far it has been poorly studied. Perhaps subacute, acute, chronic, recurrent. The most frequent cases of the disease in the age range of 20 to 50 years, in women occurs much more often. For every 20 fixed cases of thyroiditis, there is only one subacute thyroiditis. It is he who will be considered in the article.

Subacute thyroiditis. Causes of development

It takes place against the background of viral diseases, or after them. According to the research, the disease most often occurs after infection with the Coxsackie virus, adenovirus, mumps epidemic, influenza viruses.

Thyroiditis. Symptoms

The onset may be acute: fever; Pain in the neck (swallowing becomes worse, giving up in the ear); Pain in the lower jaw; Weakness and general malaise.

However, more often the onset is gradual: malaise is easy, in the thyroid gland unpleasant sensations, a slight feeling of discomfort when swallowing. There is pain when trying to tilt or turn the head. Pain can also appear when chewing. The proportion of the thyroid gland increases and is painful during palpation. Lymph nodes are usually unchanged (do not increase). There are no symptoms from the eyes, skin, or the heart. The patient's complaints are mainly directed to sweating, insomnia, joint pain. When the disease is reduced the production of thyrotropin - a hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland. The disease can last up to six months.

Subacute thyroiditis. Treatment

Treatment of subacute thyroiditis is medicated. In general, synthetic glucocorticoid hormones (dexamethasone, prednisolone, metipred, kenacort) are used. When the condition begins to normalize, the dose of hormones gradually decreases.

At the initial stage, the treatment is symptomatic. Assigning aspirin (with moderate pain 600 mg every 3.5 hours), or prednisone (10-20 mg twice a day). The pain decreases after the first dose. If the effect of anesthesia does not occur, the diagnosis is questioned. After a week of taking the drug, the dose drops by 5 mg every two days. The duration of treatment is prescribed by the doctor. In any case, it should not be more than a month. If after the withdrawal of the drug the pain again increases, the dose is increased and again reduced. To eliminate symptoms of thyrotoxicosis, propranolol (up to 40 mg, up to four times a day) can be prescribed. In this case, antithyroid drugs are not used.

Subacute thyroiditis in the hypothyroid stage usually lasts no more than three months. Replacement therapy is shown (levothyroxine, 0.10 mg, enough once a day).

The use of hormonal drugs should not exceed two months. The mild course of the disease allows us to limit our use to the treatment of brufen (or voltaren), indomethacin and aspirin. Possible expressed thyrotoxicosis. In this case, beta-blockers should be prescribed. To treat subacute thyroiditis, antibiotics are not prescribed. Moreover, they are contraindicated, since they can lead to worsening of the patient's condition.

The forecast is good. The disease is easily treatable. In addition, if treatment is started in a timely manner, after three months (or even earlier), a full recovery will occur. However, if this disease is ignored and refused treatment, it will last for a long time (up to two years) and may well develop into another, chronic, form with complications.

Complications

Formation of an abscess in the thyroid gland, capable of erupting. In case of ingestion, it flows into the pericardial space; Possibly damage to blood vessels; Drift of infection to the brain tissue; Development of sepsis.