Chronic Suppurative Thyroid Abscess: A Case Report

TL;DR

This case report describes a rare thyroid abscess that lacked typical symptoms and was successfully treated with surgery.

Contribution

The paper presents a unique case of a chronic thyroid abscess without typical clinical or laboratory findings.

Findings

The patient had a long-standing thyroid abscess without fever, pain, or abnormal lab results.

Total thyroidectomy and antibiotics successfully treated the condition.

This case highlights the variability in presentation of thyroid abscesses.

Abstract

Thyroid abscess is a rare occurrence and is characterized by an accumulation of pus within the thyroid gland. It most commonly forms as a sequela of acute suppurative thyroiditis, and it presents as a painful swelling of the anterior neck with fever. Patients may also develop referred ear pain and compressive symptoms such as difficulty breathing and swallowing as the abscess enlarges. On examination, the swelling is often associated with erythema, local rise of temperature, and tenderness. Laboratory investigations may reveal leukocytosis, elevated acute phase reactants, and an abnormal thyroid function test. Despite advancements in diagnostic modalities and treatment approaches, literature on thyroid abscesses remains limited.

We present a unique case of a long-standing thyroid abscess resulting from chronic suppuration which did not exhibit any of the mentioned expected findings seen in other cases. This patient was euthyroid, and laboratory investigations showed no significant abnormality. It was successfully treated with total thyroidectomy and appropriate antibiotics.

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