The prognostic and diagnostic use of hematological parameters in subacute thyroiditis patients.

Background: Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) is an acute inflammatory disease of the thyroid. Mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) values determined from peripheral blood, are accepted as available and practical indicators of systemic inflammation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of hematological parameters in the diagnosis and prognosis of subacute thyroiditis patients.

Methods: This retrospective study included 306 SAT patients and 102 healthy control subjects. Retrospective analyses were made of age, gender, complete blood counts, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), thyroid function tests, NLR, PLR, and thyroid volume of the patients and the results were compared with the control group.

Results: The mean follow-up time of patients was 29.5 ± 14 months. The ESR, CRP, white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count, hemoglobin, platelet counts, NLR, and PLR were significantly higher in the SAT patients. MPV and lymphocyte count were significantly lower in the SAT patients. The rates of recurrence and permanent hypothyroidism were 15.4% and 9.8%, respectively. The values of ESR, CRP, NLR, PLR, and MPV at the time of diagnosis were not determined to have any effect on recurrence or the development of permanent hypothyroidism.

Conclusions: The results of this study showed higher PLR and NLR values in SAT patients compared with healthy control subjects, and a lower MPV value. These findings demonstrate that the assessment of hematological parameters in conjunction with radiological and clinical findings will assist in establishing an accurate diagnosis, especially in complicated SAT cases.