Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Alopecia areata is a common disorder presenting with severe hair loss in a specific site. This condition is usually accompanied by autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis, lupus erythematosus, vitiligo, myasthenia gravis, diabetes type II, etc. Considering high incidence of thyroid disease in Iranian population, we decided to evaluate the frequency of thyroidal diseases especially autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with alopecia areata.

Methods: A total of 45 patients with alopecia areata and 35 age and sex matched patients without any evidence of autoimmune disease, as a control group that referring to dermatology clinic of Qaem hospital from October 2006 till July 2008 participated in this study. Questionnaires were filled by data of histories, demographic characteristics, physical examinations and laboratory tests of thyroid gland. Collected data were analyzed statistically using SPSS software.

Results: Incidence of thyroid disorders in patients was higher than control group. (P=0.035) 11.1% of cases showed goiter. Thyroid dysfunction was detected in 13.6% of patients with no significant difference between male and female groups. (P=0.13) Hashimoto thyroiditis was reported in 27.9% of cases which was significantly different between men and women (P=0.025).

Conclusion: Incidence of thyroid disorders in patients with alopecia areata was higher than normal group. This finding confirms the need for thyroid function test screening in alopecia areata patients in our population.