Prevalence of thyroid function test abnormalities and thyroid autoantibodies in children with vitiligo

Abstract

Although the exact pathogenic processes involved in vitiligo are still unknown, its association with autoimmune disorders and endocrine dysfunction has been reported. One of its associations is with thyroid diseases. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the prevalence of thyroid function tests and thyroid autoantibody abnormalities in children diagnosed with vitiligo and compare the results with the literature. The laboratory documents of thyroid function tests (FT3, FT4, and TSH) and thyroid autoantibodies (TgAb and TPOAb) belonging to the pediatric vitiligo patients were studied retrospectively. Thyroid function tests and thyroid autoantibody abnormalities were detected in 20 (25.3%) of the pediatric vitiligo patients. Thirteen (16.4%) patients were evaluated as subclinical hypothyroidism, two (2.5%) were evaluated as hypothyroidism, and five (6.3%) were evaluated as euthyroidism. Thyroid autoantibodies were found to be positive in nine (11.3%) patients. Previously reported prevalence of thyroid disease in children with vitiligo ranged from 10.7 to 24.1%, and the prevalence of 25.3% determined in this study was compatible with the literature. Also, the high rate of subclinical hypothyroidism determined in these patients attracted attention to the probable development of overt hypothyroidism in a long term. Thus, our results suggest that thyroid function tests and thyroid autoantibodies should be analyzed in children with vitiligo.