Radio-active iodine uptake in vitiligo

Study of thyroid disorders in vitiligo

Background and Aims

Vitiligo, an acquired sometimes familial depigmentary disorder of the skin and hair that results from selective destruction of melanocytes or pigment cells. It is the single most important non-neo plastic disease that involves both the immune system and melanocytes which are subsequently destroyed and the affected area turns pale and becomes white. The prevalence of the disease is between 1% and 2% in general population.

Methods

It is a prospective, randomized, and controlled study. Over 90 vitiligo patients attending Dermatology OPD and vitiligo clinic are enrolled in the study. About 35 apparently healthy, age and sex matched individuals are selected to serve as control. A prescribed proforma containing all the demographic data, relevant questionnaire were recorded for each and every case with brief clinical history suggestive of any thyroid disease as well as those referred by the clinicians. P value <0.05 is considered significant. The Quantitative Determination of Thyroglobulin (Tg) Autoantibodies in Human Serum or Plasma by a Microplate Enzyme Immunoassay.

Results

Vitiligo group, thirty four (37.78%) patients have clinical hypothyroidism while 9 (10%) patients have clinical hyperthyroidism. This difference in the distribution is statistically significant (P < 0.05) with a Chi-square value of 10.08. The data are entered, analyzed and computed with SPSS version 15 software and well-known statistical test like Chi-square, students' 't' test have been advocated wherever found applicable. P value <0.05 is considered significant.

Conclusion

There is increased incidence of autoimmune thyroid diseases among vitiligo patients. The reason being vitiligo usually precedes the onset of thyroid dysfunction.

A clinical study of the cutaneous manifestations of hypothyroidism in kashmir valley

BACKGROUND

Thyroid disorders are known to involve all the organ systems of the body, the skin being no exception. The association of thyroid disorders with cutaneous manifestations is complex. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are known to cause these changes.

AIMS

The present study was designed to ascertain the varied cutaneous manifestations of hypothyroidism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was a hospital based clinical study conducted in collaboration with the Endocrinology Division (Department of Medicine) of SMHS Hospital (associated teaching hospital of Government Medical College Srinagar), over a period of one year, from May 2010 to May 2011. Four hundred and sixty consecutive diagnosed cases of hypothyroidism constituted the subject material for the study and were evaluated for the presence of any cutaneous manifestation.

RESULTS

In our study group of 460 patients, there were 416 females and 44 male patients. The predominant cutaneous symptom in our hypothyroid patients was dry coarse skin (65.22%), followed by hair loss (42.6%) and puffy edema (38.48%). The most common cutaneous sign observed in hypothyroid patients was xerosis (57.17%), followed by diffuse hair loss (46.09%), altered skin texture (31.74%), coarse scalp hair (29.35%) and puffy face (28.69%).

CONCLUSIONS

The interaction between thyroid gland and skin is of profound clinical importance in dermatological practice. So, dermatologists need to be cognizant of the ways in which these two organs interact.

Thyroid disease and the skin

Cutaneous manifestations of thyroid disease are protean in nature and can be divided into specific lesions such as the thyroglossal duct cyst and cutaneous metastases from thyroid malignancy, nonspecific signs secondary to thyroid hormone imbalance, and associated dermatologic and systemic disorders. This review represents a summary and update of thyroid disease and the skin.

Cutaneous manifestations of thyroid disease

Cutaneous manifestations of thyroid disease are protean in nature and affect all age groups. This review focuses on normal thyroid gland physiology, specific cutaneous/thyroid lesions such as the thyroglossal duct cyst and metastatic thyroid malignancies, nonspecific cutaneous alterations of the hyperthyroid and hypothyroid states, and the numerous associations of thyroid disease with other cutaneous and/or systemic disorders.