Evaluation of Thyroid Function and Autoimmune Activity and Correlation of them with Thyroid Sonographic Findings in Patients with Vitiligo

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Endocrinology , Endocrine Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Dermatology, Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Research center , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

3 Assistant professor of Radiology, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

4 Assistant professor of Radiology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Vitiligo may be associated with autoimmune thyroid diseases. Early sonographic findings in thyroid may be detectable even before occurence of clinical manifestations. So, we evaluated role of thyroid sonography in vitiligo patients without previously known thyroid disorders.
Materials and Methods
This case-control study was performed in Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad between 2008 to 2010 years. A total of fifty patients with vitiligo and 35 healthy controls were enrolled. In all participants, dermatologic examination, thyroid autoimmunity and function tests and sonography, were performed. Chi-square, independent t-test, mannwhitney U and Spearman Rho tests, used for statistical analysis. P values less than 0.05 considered significant.
Results
TSH level (p<0.001) and Anti-TPO (p=0.002) were significantly more in vitiligo patients than controls, but no significant difference was seen in Anti-Tg antibodies (p=0.118) between two groups. No correlation was seen between Anti-TPO level and thyroid volume (p=0.30). Thyroid heterogenicity in sonography was more common in vitiligo patients (p=0.004). There was significant positive correlation between Anti-TPO and TSH levels ( pConclusion
Autoimmune thyroiditis was the most common finding in vitiligo patients. Sonography could be used as an adjuvant for confirmation of asymptomatic autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with vitiligo.

Keywords