Papillary thyroid carcinoma and fever of unknown origin - causality or coincidence?

Papillary thyroid carcinoma is a common and usually asymptomatic tumor.Some reports questioned a possible association between febrile syndromes and papillary carcinoma.The authors report a 17-year-old female with fever of unknown origin for 3 months, constitutional symptoms and markedly elevated inflammatory markers.An exhaustive diagnostic work-up led to the diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer.The patient underwent total thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy, remaining asymptomatic after two years of followup.We aim to discuss a possible causal link between a prolonged fever and papillary thyroid carcinoma, previously described and highlight the importance of remembering solid tumors in the investigation of prolonged fever of unknown origin.