PANCE Endocrinology Practice Test

Subacute thyroiditis is an inflammatory process of the thyroid that causes painful, tender swelling. NSAIDs help with the inflammatory pain, but if pain remains, systemic corticosteroids are the next commonly used therapy because they rapidly suppress the inflammatory response in the gland and provide quicker relief of pain and tenderness. A brief course of prednisone often leads to improvement within a couple of days, followed by a taper to minimize side effects.

Other options don’t address the inflammation directly: beta-blockers may help with symptoms of the thyrotoxic phase but don’t reduce thyroid inflammation; methimazole targets thyroid hormone synthesis and isn’t effective when hormone excess results from release due to gland destruction; radioiodine therapy isn’t helpful in the inflammatory phase and won’t relieve pain.