Gelisim News

Saying that neck pain is very common in patients with Covid-19 disease, Radiology and Interventional Radiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Onur Sıldıroğlu said, “This pain is especially seen in the front of the neck. In ultrasonography performed to investigate this pain, we find that the pain is concentrated on the thyroid gland in most people. In ultrasonography, we observe that the thyroid gland is darker than normal and its structure is deteriorated. This condition is called viral thyroiditis. "We can say that it is a thyroid inflammation caused by coronavirus."

Indicating that viral thyroiditis has increased significantly during the pandemic period, from İstanbul Gelisim University Lect. Prof. Dr. Onur Sıldıroğlu said, “This situation continues for a long time. In the ultrasonographies, we observe that even if the pain disappears, it causes damage to the thyroid gland, changes in thyroid hormones depending on the extent of the damage and causes hypothyroidism in some patients. Accordingly, long-term, sometimes even lifelong thyroid hormone replacement therapies may be needed.”

Referring to the connection between coronavirus and thyroid, Sıldıroğlu added the following statements:
“This condition, which we call viral thyroiditis or subacute thyroiditis and we would rarely observed before the pandemic, is a condition that is seen especially in winter and spring months, especially in those who have a viral infection such as adenovirus or enterovirus. During the pandemic period, it started to occur due to the coronavirus. It is thought that the virus is caused by the overstimulated immune system attacking the thyroid gland, in other words its own tissue, rather than causing the infection by spreading directly to the thyroid gland."

Emphasizing that it is necessary to pay attention to carotid vein inflammation confused with thyroid inflammation after Covid-19. Dr. Sıldıroğlu said, “In addition to viral thyroiditis, which increased after the pandemic, inflammation-related pain began to be seen frequently around the vein called carotid artery in the common language called carotid artery, passing by the thyroid glands. In medical language, we call carotid inflammation of the carotid artery. This situation, which we observed once a month or a year in the ultrasonographies we made before the pandemic, peaked with the pandemic. This overlooked disease can be detected more clearly with new technology ultrasonography devices. When a patient comes with neck pain after covid, we first evaluate the case with ultrasonography for subacute thyroiditis, and if the thyroid gland is normal, if the patient's pain spreads to the sides, adjacent to the thyroid gland, we examine the carotid artery with Doppler ultrasonography. Since the jugular vein is adjacent to the thyroid gland, the pain in this area may be confused with subacute thyroiditis during the examination.”

Carotid can be found alone or can be a stimulator of large vessel vasculitis. We know that Covid-19 infection causes vasculitis, known as vascular inflammation. "In some patients, contrast-enhanced MR angiography can be performed on the neck vessels to investigate this situation and, if necessary, to determine the condition and length of the involved vessel."
Prof. Dr. Sıldıroğlu emphasized that it is extremely important to perform neck ultrasonography in terms of not neglecting neck pain after Covid-19 to investigate the underlying causes and planning treatment.