Open AccessPathophysiological and clinical aspects of interaction between coronavirus disease 2019 and thyroid
Author(s) -
V.І. Pankiv,
N.V. Pashkovska,
І.V. Pankiv,
V.A. Maslyanko,
Iryna Tsaryk
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
mìžnarodnij endokrinologìčnij žurnal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2307-1427
pISSN - 2224-0721
DOI - 10.22141/2224-0721.17.4.2021.237348
Subject(s) - medicine , thyroid , subacute thyroiditis , thyroiditis , hypophysitis , cytokine storm , euthyroid sick syndrome , hormone , disease , triiodothyronine , immunology , covid-19 , pituitary gland , infectious disease (medical specialty)
In patients who were not previously diagnosed with any thyroid conditions, the scenario of COVID-19 related anomalies of the thyroid may include either: a process of central thyroid-stimulating hormone disturbances via virus‑related hypophysitis; an atypical type of subacute thyroiditis which is connected to the virus spread or to excessive cytokine production including a destructive process with irreversible damage to the gland or low triiodothyronine syndrome (non-thyroidal illness syndrome) which is not specifically related to the COVID‑19 infection, but which is associated with a very severe illness status. This review aimed to investigate thyroid changes resulted from the COVID-19 infection. Ongoing assessment of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will reveal more information on coronavirus-induced thyroid conditions. Routine thyroid assays performed in patients with severe infection/acute phase of COVID-19 are encouraged to detect thyrotoxicosis. After recovery, thyroid function should be assessed to identify potential hypothyroidism. There remain unanswered questions related to the predictive value of interleukin-6 in infected patients, especially in cases of cytokine storm, and the necessity of thyroid hormone replacement in subjects with hypophysitis-related central hypothyroidism.