Over four days, a 35-year-old woman watched the left side of her neck swell into a lump so painful she rated it 9 out of 10. By the time she walked into a primary care clinic in Qatar, swallowing food and even liquids was difficult, and she was short of breath with exertion and when lying flat.
She had no neck injury, no previous thyroid procedure, and was not taking blood thinners. The most familiar explanation for a tender, swollen thyroid seemed to fit. It turned out to be wrong.
