Psoriasis vulgaris and thyroid pathology: a poorly known association

Abstract

Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic relapsing dermatosis which affects between 2 and 3% of the world population. Sometimes it causes even a durable patient's disability. Nu merousre cent investigations by foreign and Bulgarian authors established a correlation between psoriasis vulgaris and a series of internal diseases such as arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, hyperlipidemia, etc. Nowadays its definition as asystemic disease has widely been approved. The present paper reports the first clinical study carried out in Bulgaria which deals with the association between psoriasis vulgaris and thyroid diseases. The study covered 33 out-patients patients, 16 females and 17 males aged between 7 and 82 years. In 16,5% of them, a variety of thyroid diseases was established. These alterations did not depend on patient's age. Skin manifestations did not always correlate with the results from the laboratory examinations. Skin lesions presented with single drop let-like eruptions, smaller and larger plaques of different duration as well as with inveterate plaques. Thyroid pathology presented with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Basedow's disease, and nodules. Female gender was slightly more commonly affected. The proof of the association between psoriasis vulgaris and thyroid diseases could contribute to better control of treatment and future improvement of individual patient's quality of life. Scripta Scientifica Medica 2010;42(2):111-113