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The tender neck: thyroiditis or thyroid abscess?
Author(s) -
Houghton David J.,
Gray Henry W.,
MacKenzie Kenneth
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2265.1998.00378.x
Subject(s) - medicine , abscess , thyroid , thyroiditis , surgery , thyroidectomy , sinus (botany) , botany , biology , genus
Following apparent subacute thyroiditis, a 16‐year‐old girl developed a left thyroid abscess thought to be secondary to steroids and haematogenous spread from a pilonidal abscess. The thyroid suppuration became recurrent and required partial thyroidectomy. Further left‐sided abscess formation in the neck prompted a barium swallow which revealed the source of infection to be a sinus tract arising from the left piriform fossa. The patent fourth branchial sinus tract was later excised. All patients with a tender thyroid should have ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration to establish the diagnosis. If suppuration is confirmed, a barium swallow is advised to exclude a sinus tract from the piriform fossa.