A Case of Subacute Thyroiditis Associated with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Takayasu's Arteritis

ABSTRACT

Subacute thyroiditis is a self-limiting inflammation of the thyroid, presenting with painful thyroid swelling, thyrotoxicosis and low radioactive iodine uptake. The characteristic US findings for this disease are focal ill-defined hypoechoic areas in one lobe or diffuse hypoechoic areas in both lobes. Thyroid carcinomas should be included in the differential diagnosis for a lesion with focal hypoechoic areas and have been rarely reported to coexist with subacute thyroiditis. Takayasu's arteritis is an autoimmune disease that affects the aorta and its branches as well as pulmonary arteries. Subacute thyroiditis associated with Takayasu's arteritis is extremely rare, with only three cases being reported. We report here on the first case with the simultaneous diagnosis of subacute thyroiditis, papillary thyroid carcinoma and Takayasu's arteritis.