clinical features
Last reviewed 01/2018
Presentation is with:
- sudden, painful enlargement of the thyroid mimicking a "sore throat" or "ear ache"
- flu-like symptoms
- general features of hyperthyroidism
Typically, both lobes are enlarged but rarely, one lobe is affected. Painful dysphagia is common.
Blood tests reveal high ESR, raised T4 and T3, and suppressed TSH. Uptake of radioactive iodine is low.
Characteristically, the condition progresses through a phase of transient hyperthyroidism, followed 4-6 weeks later by a similar period of transient hypothyroidism. The patient is usually euthyroid 4-6 months after the onset of the illness.