Objective: Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) is an inflammatory disorder of the thyroid gland that causes destructive thyrotoxicosis and is attributed to a viral or post-viral response. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that caused a global pandemic in 2020. We present a case that suggests that there may be a relationship between SAT and corona-virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: We describe the clinical findings, thyroid function tests, and neck ultrasound of a patient presenting with anterior neck pain. Results: A 47-year-old, Filipino female presented with anterior neck pain associated with neck tenderness and goiter. She did not have fever or respiratory symptoms but had right lower lobe pneumonia on chest radiograph. Thyroid function tests were consistent with subclinical hyperthyroidism with thyroid-stimulating hormone of 0.05 μIU/mL (reference range is 0.47 to 4.68 μIU/mL), free thyroxine of 1.68 pg/mL (reference range is 0.78 to 2.19 pg/mL), and total triiodothyronine of 1.4 ng/mL (reference range is 0.97 to 1.69 ng/mL). Anti-thyroid peroxidase, anti-thyroglobulin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies were negative. Neck ultrasound showed heterogenous thyroid tissues with normal vascularity. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 using nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were positive. The patient was diagnosed as having SAT and was treated with mefenamic acid, which was later switched to celecoxib. Ceftriaxone and hydroxychloroquine were started for COVID-19 pneumonia. Complete resolution of symptoms and primary hypothyroidism occurred after 2 months. Conclusion: SAT may be a presenting symptom or a sequela of COVID-19. Histopathology studies and definitive documentation of the virus in thyroid tissues may be required to confirm the relationship between SAT and COVID-19.
Objectives: To compare the outcomes of sepsis management using protocol-based therapy versus non-protocolized care, assessed over 10 years. Design: Retrospective cohort study, analyzed longitudinally with risk-adjusted control charts, referenced against hospital- and unit-level programs or interventions. Setting: Private, tertiary teaching hospital ICU in the Philippines. Patients: Nine-hundred fifty adult patients (19 yr old or older) diagnosed with severe sepsis or septic shock, using 2001 consensus definitions, admitted to the ICU from September 2007 to August 2017. Interventions: Three iterations of a standard clinical pathway (including early antibiotics, prescribed fluid resuscitation, and hemodynamic management) versus concurrent non-protocolized care. Measurements and Main Results: Seven-hundred sixty patients were in the protocol-based care group versus 190 in the non-protocolized care group. Protocol-based management was associated with lower hospital mortality (28.4% vs 44.7%; p = 0.00) and ICU mortality (24.2% vs 31.6%; p = 0.038). There were no differences in ICU or hospital length-of-stay, mechanical ventilator days, or vasoactive days. Risk-Adjusted Cumulative Sum and Risk-Adjusted Exponentially Weighted Moving Average control charts showed that a survival advantage was achieved after 1 year and was sustained over the duration of the study. Conclusions: Protocol-based management was associated with sustained improvements in the survival of sepsis patients over 10 years in this hospital setting, after a run-in period of 1 year. Hospital- and unit-level interventions may have measurable impacts on the efficacy of sepsis clinical pathways.
Increasing incidence of adrenal incidentalomas with hypercortisolemia not associated with overt features of Cushing’s syndrome has led to the evolution of the term autonomous cortisol secretion. Oncocytic adrenocortical neoplasms (OANs) are rare adrenal cortex neoplasms with only 250 reported cases worldwide. We present a woman in her 30s with menometrorrhagia, weight gain and increasing abdominal girth who was found to have a large right adrenal mass on abdominal CT scan. Serum cortisol was not suppressed after 1 mg dexamethasone (31.5 µg/dL) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone was not detectable (<1.0 pg/mL). She underwent right adrenalectomy under glucocorticoid coverage. Hypertension, weight, visceral adiposity and menometrorrhagia improved postoperatively. Histopathology with immunohistochemistry showed OAN with undetermined malignant potential. These kinds of tumours can only be definitively diagnosed postsurgically using the Lin-Weiss-Bisceglia system. Although they have better prognosis compared with adrenocortical carcinomas and do not require chemotherapy, patients should be closely monitored to identify recurrence promptly.
Background. The majority of thyroid malignancies are differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs). We examined the incidence, disease extent, recurrence and disease-specific mortality (DSM) of DTC among Filipinos residing in the Philippines and Filipino immigrants.
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