In a new study, researchers found that COVID-19 infection may cause subacute thyroiditis.
Subacute thyroiditis is an inflammatory thyroid disease characterized by neck pain and is usually preceded by an upper respiratory tract infection.
It may be caused by a viral infection or a post-viral inflammatory reaction, and many viruses have been linked to the disease.
The research was conducted by a team at the University Hospital of Pisa.
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has emerged as a pandemic with severe respiratory symptoms and may involve other organs.
More than 3 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide.
In the study, the team reported the first case of subacute thyroiditis after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
They suggest that doctors should be alerted about the possibility of this additional clinical manifestation related to COVID-19.
The researchers examined an 18-year-old woman who was infected with COVID-19 after being exposed by her father.
She completely recovered from COVID-19, testing negative a few days later, but started experiencing some additional symptoms.
The young woman had neck and thyroid pain, fever, and an increased heart rate. She was sent back to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with subacute thyroiditis.
She had normal thyroid functioning and imaging just one month earlier.
The team says because of the chronological association, SARS-CoV-2 may be considered accountable for the onset of subacute thyroiditis.
The study was supported by the University of Pisa. The lead author of the study is Francesco Latrofa, M.D. from the University Hospital of Pisa in Pisa, Italy.
The study is published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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