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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · International Journal of Practical Otolaryngology 2021; 04(01): e1-e5
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1722335
Case Report

A Case of Sudden Diffuse Thyroid Swelling after Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology where Changes over Time Were Confirmed by Ultrasonography

Naoki Takemoto
1   Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
2   Department of Otolaryngology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan
,
Taijiro Ozawa
2   Department of Otolaryngology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan
,
Hitomi Tamai
2   Department of Otolaryngology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan
,
Tatsuhiro Asaoka
2   Department of Otolaryngology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan
,
Shinichi Iwasaki
1   Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
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Abstract

We encountered a case of diffuse thyroid swelling after fine needle aspiration (dTSaFNA) cytology, and monitored the swelling by thyroid ultrasonography. The scan findings are reported. A 57-year-old female visited our hospital complaining of swelling in her anterior neck. She had a history of metal allergy and was not taking any medications. Because a solid cystic tumor was detected in the left thyroid lobe, we decided to perform fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). When the second aspiration was performed with a 22G needle inserted into the nodule in the left lobe, the patient immediately complained of pain in her neck. Within 2 minutes, her anterior neck swelled up and ultrasonography showed vascular dilatation in the left thyroid lobe. Neck cooling with steroid injection was undertaken. However, over the next 5 minutes, the vascular dilatation also spread to the right lobe. About 15 minutes later, the vessels gradually became unclear, and the neck pain and swelling persisted, and the patient was hospitalized for observation. By the following day, all the symptoms and signs had resolved and the patient was discharged. FNA is associated with the risk of neck swelling caused by hemorrhage or dTSaFNA. To make a prompt diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment for this complication, ultrasonography could be useful.

Keywords

diffuse thyroid swelling - fine needle aspiration - ultrasonography - complication


Publication History

Received: 11 May 2020

Accepted: 13 August 2020

Article published online:
07 January 2021

© 2021. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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