Which thyroid condition is also known as subacute granulomatous thyroiditis and presents with painful hyperthyroidism in the first 4 to 6 weeks, along with hypoechoic areas on ultrasound?

Which thyroid condition is also known as subacute granulomatous thyroiditis and presents with painful hyperthyroidism in the first 4 to 6 weeks, along with hypoechoic areas on ultrasound?

• A. DeQuervian Disease
• B. Graves Disease
• C. Hashimoto Disease
• D. Chronic Thyroiditis

Answer: (A)

De Quervain thyroiditis, known as subacute granulomatous thyroiditis, presents with a painful, tender thyroid and a transient hyperthyroid phase in the early weeks after a viral illness. The ultrasound appearance often shows patchy, ill-defined hypoechoic areas within the gland that reflect focal inflammatory change, with reduced vascularity rather than the increased flow seen in Graves disease. This combination—painful thyroid and hypoechoic inflammatory foci—distinguishes it from Graves, which is typically painless with diffuse enlargement and increased Doppler flow, and from Hashimoto or chronic thyroiditis, which are usually painless and show a more uniform or chronic-appearing echotexture.

De Quervain thyroiditis, known as subacute granulomatous thyroiditis, presents with a painful, tender thyroid and a transient hyperthyroid phase in the early weeks after a viral illness. The ultrasound appearance often shows patchy, ill-defined hypoechoic areas within the gland that reflect focal inflammatory change, with reduced vascularity rather than the increased flow seen in Graves disease. This combination—painful thyroid and hypoechoic inflammatory foci—distinguishes it from Graves, which is typically painless with diffuse enlargement and increased Doppler flow, and from Hashimoto or chronic thyroiditis, which are usually painless and show a more uniform or chronic-appearing echotexture.