How to Pronounce De Quervain's Thyroiditis
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
De Quervain's Thyroiditis Pronunciation
deh KAIR-vaynz thy-royd-EYE-tis
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
deh KAIR
vaynz thy
royd
EYE
stress here
tis
5 syllables
What is De Quervain's Thyroiditis?
A painful, self-limiting inflammation of the thyroid gland believed to be caused by a viral infection, producing a very tender thyroid, neck pain, fever, and temporary thyroid dysfunction. It passes through stages of hyperthyroidism, then hypothyroidism, before the thyroid function usually returns to normal.
Questions About De Quervain's Thyroiditis
How do you pronounce De Quervain's thyroiditis?
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Say it as "deh KAIR-vaynz thy-royd-EYE-tis." The stress falls on the second syllable of Quervain's (KAIR), and the third syllable of thyroiditis (EYE). The "deh" at the start sounds like the word "the," and "thy-royd" rhymes with "thyroid."
How many syllables does De Quervain's thyroiditis have?
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The full term has seven syllables: De Quer-vain's thy-roid-i-tis. Breaking it down helps you say it smoothly: "deh" (1) "KAIR" (2) "vaynz" (3) "thy" (4) "royd" (5) "I" (6) "tis" (7).
What is the most common mispronunciation of this term?
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Many people stress the wrong syllable and say "dee KWER-vain's" instead of "deh KAIR-vaynz." Remember that the "Q" makes a "K" sound, and the stress lands on KAIR, not on the first part of the word.
Why is it called De Quervain's thyroiditis?
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The condition is named after Fritz de Quervain, a Swiss doctor who first described it in 1904. The word "thyroiditis" comes from "thyroid" (the gland in your neck) plus "-itis" (which means inflammation), so the name tells you it's an inflammation of the thyroid that was identified by de Quervain.
What does the '-itis' ending mean in thyroiditis?
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The "-itis" suffix is a Greek ending that always means inflammation. You'll see it in many medical words like arthritis (inflamed joints) or bronchitis (inflamed airways). In this case, it tells you the thyroid gland itself is inflamed.
Can you use De Quervain's thyroiditis in a sentence?
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Here's an example: "The doctor explained that the patient's symptoms were consistent with De Quervain's thyroiditis, which is a temporary thyroid inflammation." You might also hear it shortened to just "De Quervain's" in conversation among medical professionals.
Is there a short way to say this term?
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Yes, doctors and nurses often simply call it "De Quervain's thyroiditis" or even just "De Quervain's" (pronounced "deh KAIR-vaynz"). Some medical writers abbreviate it as DVT, though this abbreviation is less common since DVT usually stands for deep vein thrombosis.
What related words share the 'thyroid' root?
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Other medical terms with "thyroid" include hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, and thyroidectomy (surgical removal of the thyroid). All of these words are about the thyroid gland and use the same root, making them easier to recognize once you know what "thyroid" means.