Title: A Study to Determine Prevalance of Thyroid Disorders in Children and Adolescents with Vitiligo
Authors: Aditi Dhanta, Geeta Ram Tegta, Vinay Shanker, Ghanshayam Kumar Verma, Ajit Negi, Shikha Sharma, Saroj Jaswal
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i4.149
Abstract
Background- Vitiligo is a common skin depigmenting disease, which is thought to have, at least partly, an autoimmune aetiology. The link between vitiligo and thyroid disease has been proved in adult patients. This association has scarcely been studied in children.
Objectives- The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of thyroid dysfunctions and autoimmune thyroiditis in children with vitiligo. The early diagnosis of clinical and subclinical forms of thyroid disease in these children and to facilitate early treatment and avoidance of the phenotypic manifestations of hypothyroidism.
Methods- 110 children and adolescents (50 boys, 60 girls) with known vitiligo were enrolled. Serum free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and antibodies to thyroperoxidase were measured. Thyroid gland efficiency was evaluated.
Results- Twenty three (20.9%) out of 110 patients had abnormalities of thyroid function tests or thyroid autoantibodies or alterations in USG for thyroid. Previously reported prevalence of thyroid disease in children with vitiligo ranged from 10.7 to 24.1%, and the prevalence of 20.9% determined in our study was comparable with the literature.
Conclusion- In paediatric patients with vitiligo, a significant incidence of thyroid dysfunction was found. Since vitiligo usually appears before the development of the thyroid disease, it may be useful to screen thyroid autoantibodies in all paediatric patients with vitiligo to assist in the early diagnosis and therapy of autoimmune thyroiditis. Also, the high rate of
subclinical hypothyroidism determined in these patients attracted attention to the probable development of overt hypothyroidism in a long term.
Keyword: Autoimmunity, child, thyroid function tests, vitiligo.
