Thyroid disease post-COVID-19 infection: Report of a case with new-onset autoimmune thyroid disease

Abstract

We present hyperthyroidism with autoimmune thyroid disease, which developed a few weeks after the COVID-19 infection in a patient with no prior thyroid disease. Our case was described with clinical presentations, diagnostic tests, and subsequent patient management and compared to other similar reported cases. A 28-year-old female patient with no prior history of thyroid dysfunction developed hyperthyroidism 8 weeks after COVID-19 infection, confirmed by low thyroid stimulating hormone, high free thyroxine 4, and thyroid receptor antibody. She was treated and responded well to methimazole 20 mg in a few weeks. We searched the literature and found three other similar reported cases and compared those. The effects of COVID-19 infection on the immune system and the thyroid gland might explain the pathology of hyperthyroidism post-COVID-19 infection in this patient. This new-onset hyperthyroidism was found in a woman with mild symptoms and responded well to thiamazole and β-blockers.