Subacute thyroiditis associated with COVID-19 affecting health professionals, a case series in high-risk population

Abstract

Background: Healthcare professionals are more vulnerable to infectious infections, especially ones that are easily transferred, such as COVID-19. Subacute thyroiditis is a self-limiting thyroid gland infection caused by a virus. SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the prevalence of subacute thyroiditis. Objective: This case series addresses the emergence of subacute thyroiditis cases linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is more common in healthcare personnel. Methods: This study analyzed nine COVID-19 cases with neck pain symptoms. The clinical presentation, thyroid markers, ultrasound features of the thyroid gland, and its management were described in this study. Result: There were nine cases included, and seven out of nine were experienced by healthcare professional workers. All of them were patients in the Clinic of Endocrinology Metabolism and Diabetes - Thyroid Center, Dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, from January to June 2021. Most of them presented with mild to moderate neck pain. All patients had clinical improvement within two weeks to two months after receiving treatments. Conclusion: Subacute thyroiditis is a painful thyroid gland disease characterized by acute inflammation of the thyroid gland, which can arise during or after a viral infection such as COVID-19. This case series emphasizes the importance of physicians awareness that subacute thyroiditis could be one of many clinical spectra of SARS-CoV-2 infection that should not be missed.