Thyroiditis postCovid-19 and postvaccination explored by research teams

Separate research teams from University Hospital Kerry, Tipperary University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin have reported on cases of thyroiditis post-vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 to this year’s IES Annual Meeting.

In an oral case report of ‘Subacute thyroiditis post-viral vector vaccine for Covid-19′, by Dr Caoimhe Casey and Dr Tom Higgins at University Hospital Kerry, Dr Casey said there were a growing number of published case reports of thyroiditis post-Covid-19 vaccination.

The mechanism of development of thyroiditis post-vaccination was unclear, but it was thought that cross recognition of virus and healthy thyroid cell antigens may play a role. Knowledge of this potential adverse effect would lead to earlier diagnosis and appropriate management “as we continue to battle the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide”, the authors added.

Subacute viral thyroiditis was a recognised cause of thyrotoxicosis, which usually presented as neck pain and hyperthyroidism after an acute viral illness, according to researchers from the Academic Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Beaumont Hospital and the RCSI, Dublin in their study on ‘Subacute thyroiditis following Covid-19 mRNA vaccine’.

Several viruses including SARS CoV-2 had been implicated. The occurrence of thyroiditis had also been reported following hepatitis B and influenza vaccination. Thyroiditis had only been very rarely reported following mRNA Covid-19 vaccination. However, with the very high volume of primary and booster vaccine dose administration, both at present and in the future, they recommended it should be considered in all patients who presented with thyrotoxicosis following vaccination; particularly when TRAb was negative.

From Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, researchers reported details on a case of ‘Subacute Thyroiditis following Sars-CoV-2 Infection’. They noted that the first case of subacute thyroiditis following Sars-CoV-2 infection had been described in Italy in July 2020. Since then, there had been approximately 22 cases reported in the literature. Also, a report from researchers at Department of Endocrinology, Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel, added that it was well established that subacute thyroiditis may be associated with Covid-19 infection. They outlined a case of subacute thyroiditis following Pfizer vaccination for Covid-19.