Subacute Thyroiditis during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Searching for a Clinical Association with SARS-CoV-2.

Pierpaolo Trimboli,Chiara Camponovo,Sebastiano Franscella,Niccolò Buetti,Enos Bernasconi,Alberto Ferlin

doi:10.1155/2021/5588592

Abstract

Purpose To search for a clinical potential link between subacute thyroiditis (SAT) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a series of patients diagnosed with SAT during the COVID-19 pandemic, by retrospective evaluation of (1) clinical symptoms and (2) contact tracing. Methods SAT patients diagnosed from March to December 2020 were enrolled. The presence of typical clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2, diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2, and contact with other individuals proven to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 were searched. Results Ten SAT cases were included. Fever was recorded in four patients. Cough, dyspnea, and headache were rarely reported. No patient had diagnosis of pneumonia. Two patients had moderate to severe fatigue after SAT. One patient experienced loss of smell and taste and had persistent fatigue over the following five months. No patient had positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests. At contact-tracing evaluation, only one patient had a contact with people who were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions Patients diagnosed with SAT during COVID-19 pandemic rarely experienced SARS-CoV-2-related symptomatology. The contact tracing did not show close contact with SARS-CoV-2 individuals in 9/10 cases.

Highlights

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1]
During 2020, with the worldwide rapid diffusion of COVID19, several data on the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and thyroid disease have been emerging [4]. Some of these studies focused on the subacute thyroiditis (SAT), known as De Quervain’s thyroiditis, a self-limited inflammatory thyroid disease caused by several viruses and usually preceded by upper respiratory tract infections [5]. e clinical presentation of SAT encompasses neck pain, as the hallmark of the clinical syndrome, thyroid enlargement, International Journal of Endocrinology general symptoms, and thyroid dysfunction
Four patients underwent SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab while SARS-CoV-2 serum test was performed in two cases; no patient had positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests

Summary

Introduction

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1]. E aim of the present study was to investigate the possible clinical relationship between SAT and SARS-CoV-2 in a series of patients diagnosed with SAT during the ongoing pandemic by retrospective (1) evaluation of the presence of typical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 and (2) reconstruction of the history of contacts with other individuals diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. All patients diagnosed with SAT during the period from March 1st to December 15th, 2020, and recorded at our Clinic were enrolled in the study.

Results

Conclusion