Thyroid abscess revealing Graves-Basedow disease: about a case and review of the literature

Thyroid abscess is a very rare clinical entity. It accounts for 0.1% of the surgical pathologies of the thyroid gland. The anatomical and physiological characteristics of the gland give it resistance to pathogens. Streptococcal and Staphylococcal are the most common. Tuberculosis is rarely reported in the literature. The occurrence of infection associated with toxic goiter is exceptional. The authors report a rare case of a 22-year-old young patient with thyroid abscess revealing a toxic goitre. He presented to our otorhinolaryngology emergency unit with anterior cervical swelling, slightly lateralized to the left, moving on swallowing, associated with hemoptysis, signs of thyroid dysfunction, fever, night sweats. Cervical CT scan showed a mass occupying the left lobe of the thyroid gland, with fluid content, measuring 2 cm and with purulent fluid collected via fine needle aspiration biopsy. Cytobacteriological examination showed Staphylococcus with positive BK test. Patient underwent chest radiograph showing right apical pulmonary alveolar. Cytobacteriological examination of sputum isolated Koch bacillus. Thyroid biological assessment was in favor of Graves-Basedow disease. The management was medical and included parenteral triple antibiotic, anti-bacillary and anti-thyroid synthesis therapy with good evolution. The diagnosis of tuberculosis should be suspected in patients with thyroid abscess formation associated with an unclear clinical picture. This is most often caused by hematogenous spread from another primary infection, particularly a pulmonary infection. The treatment is based on antibacillary drugs sometimes associated with surgery.