Should neck pain in a patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis be underestimated? A case and review of the literature

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease and the most frequent cause of hypothyroidism. Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) overlapping HT is a rare entity. A 69-year-old female patient with HT and multinodular goiter has been followed on levothyroxine replacement therapy for 7 years. She presented with neck pain radiating to the right ear persisting for 2 months. She was prescribed analgesics and antibiotics by other physicians during that period, which did not work. Her vital signs were stable with no tachycardia or fever. The right lobe of the thyroid gland was tender on palpation. Her TSH level was 3.94 mIU/ml, ESR 23 mm/h, CRP 3.2 mg/l, WBC 4900/μl at presentation. Thyroid ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic area over the tender lobe. Power Doppler imaging revealed almost no blood flow in that area. She was started on methylprednisolone 32 mg/day. At day 10 of therapy, her symptoms had completely resolved. Ultrasonography repeated showed that the hypoechoic area had disappeared. Glucocorticoid dosage was tapered and stopped. Emergence of subacute thyroiditis in a case with preexisting Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a quite rare condition, but should be kept in mind along with a painful attack of HT in the differential diagnosis

Metformin Decreases Thyroid Volume and Nodule Size in Subjects with Insulin Resistance: A Preliminary Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of metformin on thyroid volume and nodule size. Subjects and Methods: Prospective data were gathered on 100 newly diagnosed subjects with insulin resistance (68 female, 32 male) between August 2008 and May 2010. Each subject followed a standard diet and exercise program, and received 1,700 mg/day of metformin therapy for 6 months. The height, weight, waist circumference (WC) and thyroid hormone levels of each subject were measured. Additionally, the dimensions of the thyroid lobes and maximum diameter of each thyroid nodule were determined by ultrasonography. BMI and thyroid volumes were also calculated. Insulin resistance was estimated by homeostasis model assessment. All these parameters were measured at the beginning and at the end of the treatment period. Results: BMI and WC decreased significantly after metformin therapy (34.5 +/- 5.1 vs. 32.7 +/- 4.8, p < 0.0001, and 106.3 +/- 11.8 vs. 101.8 +/- 19.0 cm, p = 0.008, respectively). Insulin resistance also decreased after metformin therapy (4.5 +/- 1.9 vs. 2.9 +/- 1.7, p < 0.0001). The mean thyroid volume (22.5 +/- 11.2 vs. 20.3 +/- 10.4 ml, p < 0.0001) and mean thyroid nodule size (12.9 +/- 7.6 vs. 11.7 +/- 7.2 mm, p < 0.0001) also decreased after treatment. Conclusion: In subjects with insulin resistance, metformin therapy significantly decreased thyroid volume and nodule size. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Base

Do Statins Affect Thyroid Volume and Nodule Size in Patients with Hyperlipidemia in a Region with Mild-to-Moderate Iodine Deficiency? A Prospective Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the anti-proliferative pleiotropic effects of statins on thyroid function, volume, and nodularity. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and six hyperlipidemic patients were included in this prospective study. The 69 patients in the statin groups received atorvastatin (16 received 10 mg and 18 received 20 mg) or rosuvastatin (20 received 10 mg and 15 received 20 mg). The 37 patients in the control group, assessed as not requiring drugs, made only lifestyle changes. Upon admission and after 6 months, all patients were evaluated by ultrasonography as well as for lipid variables (total cholesterol, high-and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides) and thyroid function and structure. Results: After 6 months, no differences in thyroid function, thyroid volume, the number of thyroid nodules, or nodule size were observed in the statin and control groups. In a subgroup analysis, total thyroid volume had decreased more in patients receiving 20 mg of rosuvastatin than that in the control group (p < 0.05). Maximum nodule size had decreased more in those receiving 10 mg of rosuvastatin (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest an association between rosuvastatin treatment and smaller thyroid volume and maximum nodule diameter; this could be attributable to the antiproliferative effects of statin therapy on the thyroid. (C) 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Base

Thyroid volume in patients with glucose metabolism disorders

Objective: Thyroid volume and the prevalence of thyroid nodules are higher in patients with insulin resistance. A relationship between thyroid volume and glucose metabolism disorders (GMD) has not as yet been clarified. The present retrospective study aimed to investigate the association between GMD and thyroid volume. Subjects and methods: We investigated the data of 2,630 patients who were evaluated for thyroid biopsy in our hospital. The study population included 602 patients with GMD, 554 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and 1,474 patients with normal glucose metabolism as a control group. We obtained the levels of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the thyroid volumes of those patients retrospectively. Results: The median ages for the control group, GMD group and DM group were 55 (15-91) years, 60 (27-97) years, and 65 (27-91) years respectively and there was a statistically significant difference between the groups with regard to age and gender (p < 0.001). Levels of TSH were similar in all groups. The median total thyroid volumes for patients with DM and GMD were significantly higher than that of the control group [22.5 (3-202) mL, 20.2 (4-190) mL, and 19.2 (3-168) mL respectively, p <= 0.001 for all parameters]. Also the median total thyroid volume for patients with DM was significantly higher than that of the GMD group (p < 0.001). According to the correlation analysis, thyroid volume was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.92, p < 0.001) and TSH (r = 0.435, p < 0.001). Age, gender, TSH levels, GMD and DM diagnosis were independently correlated with thyroid volume. Conclusion: The thyroid gland is one of the target tissues of metabolic disorders. We reported a positive correlation between GMD/type 2 DM and thyroid volume. Further controlled, prospective, randomized studies on this subject are required to gain more information

Thyroid Nodules Are More Prevalent in Subjects with Colon Polyps, Independent of Insulin Resistance

Objective: Colorectal polyps and thyroid nodules are common disorders linked to hyperinsulinemia and metabolic syndrome (Mets). The direct association between these two diseases is not clear. We aimed to analyze the prevalence of thyroid nodules in subjects with and without colorectal polyps. The secondary aim was to establish the prevalence of Mets and its parameters in both disorders and to determine if insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia are common underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and five subjects with colorectal polyps (71 males, 34 females) and 68 controls (28 males, 40 females) were enrolled. The parameters of Mets together with TSH, insulin, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and homeostasis model for assessment of insulin resistance levels were calculated. We performed thyroid ultrasonography in all participants. Results: The prevalence of Mets was similar in the colorectal polyp and control groups (37.1 vs. 37.3%, p = 0.982). The prevalence of Mets was nonsignificantly higher in subjects with a documented thyroid nodule compared to subjects without a thyroid nodule (43.0 vs. 32.6%, p = 0.205). The prevalence of thyroid nodules in subjects with colorectal polyps was significantly higher than in subjects without polyps (52.9 vs. 35.3%, p = 0.017). Compared to subjects with no colorectal polyps, we established a significant increase in the odds of having thyroid nodules (OR 2.05; 95% CI: 1.097-3.860, p = 0.017). The presence of colorectal polyps and age in the adjusted model were established to be independent risk factors for having thyroid nodules (p = 0.025 and p = 0.007, respectively). Conclusion: These results may support the presence of other common mechanisms in the development of these two pathologies other than insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. (C) 2019 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Base

Diabetes Mellitus is Frequent, But Retinopathy is Rare in Acromegaly: A Cross-sectional Study

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The roles of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in diabetic retinopathy (DR) are well recognized, but the prevalence and pathogenesis of retinopathy in acromegaly are not fully understood. We established the frequency and severity of glucose intolerance and retinopathy—and the relationship between them—in patients with acromegaly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;All patients with acromegaly under the care of the Department of Endocrinology, Baskent University Hospital were enrolled. Fundoscopy was carried out by two experienced ophthalmologists. Acromegaly disease state was evaluated by basal GH and IGF-1 measurements, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) when appropriate. Glucose tolerance states were assessed by means of fasting and postprandial plasma glucose concentrations, glycohemoglobin measurement and an OGTT when appropriate. The relationships between retinopathy, acromegaly disease activity and glucose tolerance states were examined.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The cohort comprised 49 patients with acromegaly (24 women), with a median disease duration of 25 months (range 1–420 months). Thirty-three had active disease, with median concentrations of GH of 5.54 ng/ml (0.72–172 ng/ml) and IGF-1 of 541.5 ng/ml (203–1,985 ng/ml). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) was 30.6% (n =15; 10 patients had active acromegaly, five of whom had uncontrolled DM). Two patients had retinopathy (4.1%); both had active acromegaly and uncontrolled DM at the time of examination.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The prevalence of DM was twice that of a reference population, but that of DR was lower than expected. Our findings suggest that disease activity in acromegaly might not contribute to retinopathy.&lt;/p&gt