The following symptoms and complaints may indicate acute thyroiditis:
Leading symptoms
- Acute onset
- Pain in the area of the thyroid gland
- Fever
- If necessary, swelling of the regional lymph nodes.
The following symptoms and complaints may indicate thyroiditis de Quervain (subacute thyroiditis):
Leading symptoms
- Flu-like symptoms may be preceded by.
- Acute sore throat, initially unilateral – may radiate to chest, back of head or jaw
- General feeling of illness
- Fever
- Pressure painful thyroid gland
Thyroiditis de Quervain is usually recognized late.Approximately 5-25% of all subacute thyroiditis is clinically silent (painless “silent” thyroiditis).Approximately 10% of all subacute thyroiditis occurs postpartum (“after birth”) (see below).
The following symptoms and complaints may indicate Hashimoto’s thyroiditis:
Patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are symptom-free for a long time. Initially, symptoms of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) are occasionally prominent. The so-called “Hashitoxicosis” is an initial phase in which mild hyperthyroidism usually occurs, which then gradually changes into chronic hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland).
For details on the leading symptoms or accompanying symptoms, see the clinical picture “Hashimoto’s thyroiditis” below.
The following symptoms and complaints may indicate postpartum thyroiditis (PPT; postpartum thyroiditis):
- Patients are predominantly symptom-free!
- Non-specific symptoms such as:
- Dry skin and difficulty concentrating in the hypothyroid phase (hypothyroidism).
- Nervousness and fatigue in the hyperthyroid phase (hyperthyroidism).
- Initial hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism), then a hypothyroid phase and finally it comes back to euthyroidism (about 25% of patients).
- Isolated hyperthyroidism (without hypothyroidism) (32% of cases).
- Isolated hypothyroidism (hyperthyroidism) (43% of cases).
