DE QUERVAIN THYROIDITIS

Course overview

IN GENERAL, THYROIDITIS IS DEFINED AS AN INFLAMMATION OF THE THYROID GLAND. THERE ARE SEVERAL KINDS OF THYROIDITIS, AND THEY CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER INCREASED, DECREASED, OR NORMAL THYROID FUNCTION. FURTHERMORE, THEY CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS PAINFUL OR PAINLESS, DEPENDING ON THE ETIOLOGY. TYPICALLY, PAINFUL THYROIDITIS IS CAUSED BY RADIATION, TRAUMA OR INFECTION WHILE PAINLESS THYROIDITIS IS CAUSED BY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES OR MEDICATIONS. PAINFUL THYROIDITIS CAN BE FURTHER DIVIDED INTO SUBACUTE GRANULOMATOUS (DE QUERVAIN) THYROIDITIS, SUPPURATIVE THYROIDITIS, AND THYROIDITIS CAUSED BY RADIATION/TRAUMA. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PRESENTATION OF DE QUERVAIN THYROIDITIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS TREATMENT.