Clinical presentation: a 29-year-old woman was referred for an evaluation of complaints suggesting thyroiditis. She had subfebrility and neck pain for three weeks. She noticed palpitation and nervousness, as well.

Palpation: the right thyroid was painful, but the left tender on palpation. Both lobes were hard.

Functional state: hyperthyroidism with TSH 0.001 mIU/L, FT4 34.9 pM/L. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 70 mm/H.

Ultrasonography: the right thyroid was moderately hypoechogenic, while the left was echonormal-minimally hypoechogenic. Several more hypoechogenic areas with ill-defined borders were found. The vascularization was decreased.

Cytology: benign, subacute, granulomatous de Quervain's thyroiditis.

Comment: we started steroid therapy and the complaints of the patient ameliorated within 12 hours.