Rheumatic manifestations of thyroid pathology. Literature review

Abstract

Thyroid disease can be accompanied by a variety of rheumatic manifestations, ranging from early growth defects during infancy to adult manifestations such as arthralgias, myalgias, myopathy, acropachy, arthritis, osteoporosis. Objective — to provide a summarizing current literature on the analysis of a variety of musculoskeletal disorders in hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism and possible mechanisms that explain this connection. Materials and methods. The authors conducted a systematic literature search for relevant Englishlanguage publications published between June 2011 and October 2021 in MedLine, PubMed, and Google Scholar. A variety of rheumatic manifestations in hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism include: arthropathy, myopathy, adhesive shoulder capsulitis, thyroid acropachy, tunnel (carpal) syndrome, Raynaud’s phenomenon, Hoffman’s syndrome, osteoporosis. Thyroid diseases commonly cause musculoskeletal complaints and may even present with rheumatic syndromes before the nature of the underlying endocrinopathy is apparent. On occasion, thyroid disorders can mimic some rheumatic diseases and leading to diagnostic errors. On the other hand, thyroid disorders can coexist with rheumatic diseases as well as rheumatic symptoms and findings. Musculoskeletal complaints can be related to unidentified and untreated thyroid diseases. However, it is important to keep in mind that the therapy for these diseases might lead to myopathies. As a result, internists, endocrinologists, and rheumatologists should be well-versed in recognizing how thyroid illnesses influence the musculoskeletal system and must be aware of these correlations to ensure that the associated condition is not missed, or the diagnosis is not delayed. This will aid in avoiding diagnostic mistakes and provide early suspicion of thyroid pathology and correct treatment. Keywords: rheumatic manifestations, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid pathology, musculoskeletal syndrome.