Acute suppurative thyroiditis seeded from infective endocarditis and intravenous drug use

Acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) is a rare infection of the thyroid gland, and most patients are euthyroid upon presentation. We present an interesting case of a 42-year-old man with a history of intravenous drug use (IVDU) and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus who was admitted for sepsis and thyrotoxicosis from infective endocarditis (IE), AST, prostate abscess, and pyelonephritis. He suffered from a cerebral vascular accident (CVA) from septic embolic showering. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was <0.10 mIU/L, and free thyroxine (T4) levels were>90 pmol/L. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was cultured in the patient’s blood and urine. He was treated with prompt intravenous (IV) antimicrobials and source control from a transurethral resection of the prostate. This case demonstrates that AST can be a potential complication of IE and IVDU.