Thyroid Abscess in a Young Postpartum Female

Due to the characteristics of the thyroid gland that prevent infiltration of pathogens, suppurative thyroid gland infections causing thyroid gland abscess are rarely encountered. Herein, we report a young female who presented to our hospital with pulmonary tuberculosis and Klebsiella pneumonia complicated with empyema. During her admission, she developed a rapidly enlarging and tender thyroid gland that produced respiratory obstructive symptoms. Upon clinical examination and radiological imaging, the diagnosis of thyroid abscess was confirmed. Surgical incision and drainage of the abscess was performed along with proper coverage of antibiotics. Thereafter, the patient’s clinical status improved dramatically. Although thyroid gland abscesses are rare in clinical practice, a rapidly enlarging thyroid gland in a patient with overt bacterial infection should raise the suspicion of thyroid abscess. Timely diagnosis and proper management can be life-saving in such cases.