Informing & Supporting Thyroid Patients Since 1985
Informing & Supporting Thyroid Patients Since 1985
Thyroid Research 
Thyroid Research Archive Thyroiditis
(March 2005)
The background of the study. Riedel’s thyroiditis (also called invasive fibrous thyroiditis) is characterized by progressive fibrosis of the thyroid gland and surrounding tissues, which may lead to hypothyroidism and compression or invasion of the trachea, recurrent laryngeal nerves, and other neck structures. Treatment has consisted of thyroidectomy and glucocorticoids, neither of which is very effective. This article describes a patient with Riedel’s thyroiditis in whom administration of tamoxifen, an estrogen-like compound, resulted in marked improvement.
Case report. The patient was a 40-year-old woman who was found to have a goiter and hypothyroidism in May 2000. She was treated with thyroxine, in doses up to 175 µg daily, but the goiter increased in size. One year later, imaging studies revealed an enlarged heterogeneous thyroid gland. She had high serum antithyroid peroxidase and antithyroglobulin antibody concentrations and a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Because of increasing discomfort in her neck, intermittent choking sensations, and further thyroid enlargement, she was operated on. Her thyroid gland was very hard and immobile. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma was suspected, but biopsy revealed only dense fibrous tissue and chronic inflammation, and no thyroid tissue, consistent with Riedel’s thyroiditis.
The patient was treated with tamoxifen, 20 mg twice daily, in addition to thyroxine. During a 19-month follow-up period, her thyroid gland progressively decreased in size.
Literature review. This article includes a table that summarizes the results of tamoxifen therapy in eight other patients with Riedel’s thyroiditis. All improved, in terms of both amelioration of respiratory symptoms and a decrease in thyroid size.
The conclusions of the study. Tamoxifen seemed to be effective therapy in a patient with Riedel’s thyroiditis.
The original article. Jung YJ, Schaub CR, Rhodes R, Rich FA, Muehlenbein SJ. A case of Riedel’s thyroiditis treated with tamoxifen: another successful outcome. Endocr Pract 2004;10:483-6.
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