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Thyroid Abscess in an Adult: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

It is well known that the thyroid gland is resistant to infection due to its anatomic and physiological characteristics. Thyroid abscess in an adult is extremely rare. It is more commonly found in children than in adults. The treatment goal of this disease is to eliminate the source of infection by incision and drainage, or by a thyroidectomy and administration of antibiotics, depending on the clinical findings.We report a case of thyroid abscess found in a 29-year-old woman. The patient presented with a painful mass in the left thyroid for 6 days duration. The patient had a history of subacute thyroiditis that was treated with steroidsand thyroid hormone. Computed tomography showed a large, fluid contained, cystic predominant mass in the left thyroid. Aspiration of the cystic fluid confirmed the presence of the thyroid abscess. Under local anesthesia, an incision and drainage was performed. The patient improved dramatically after surgery and the patient was discharged 8 days later. (Korean J Endocrine Surg 2007;7:161-163)