Auto-immune thyroiditis in SARS-CoV-2 exposed twins

V. Sakaleshpur Kumar, S.R. Dhananjaya, H.S. Sathish, S. Gowda

Department of Pediatrics, Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences & Sarji Hospital, Shivamogga, India. drshivaraj@yahoo.com

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• Endocrinology
• Infectious Diseases

OBJECTIVE: In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a spectrum of sequelae affecting different organs has been reported. Of these, the ones affecting the thyroid gland have been reported, especially in the adults.

CASE REPORT: We present previously healthy twin adolescents with no history of thyroid disease, presenting with signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism after recovery from mild COVID-19 infection. Their investigations were consistent with auto-immune thyroiditis with primary hypothyroidism, showing markedly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), suppressed FT4 levels, positive anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody and anti-thyroglobulin antibody titres. They were treated accordingly and showed quick clinical improvement in symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: This case report demonstrates that COVID-19 infection can be temporally associated with primary hypothyroidism in genetically predisposed children adding more to the growing list of sequelae especially in children.

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