Thyroid abnormality in hilly children with vitiligo: A case control study

Background: Vitiligo is a common disorder causing depigmentation of the skin affecting patient’s quality of life. Various autoimmune disorders accompany vitiligo; this study was done to determine the prevalence of thyroid abnormality in children with vitiligo and compared with controls in this part of India. Materials and methods: Forty five children, suffering from non-segmental vitiligo, less than 16 years old and 60 healthy children were enrolled as cases and controls, respectively. Serum levels of Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), Free triodothyronine (fT3), Free thyroxine (fT4) and Anti-TPO antibody were accessed and compared with controls. Results: In both the groups, females outnumbered males. Thyroid function tests and thyroid autoantibodies abnormality were found in 15 (33.3%) cases. In controls, 8 (13.33%) children had increased TSH. The difference in both groups for thyroid function abnormality was significant (P= 0.0142). Conclusion: There is significant incidence of thyroid disease in children with vitiligo and hence they should be screened for thyroid function tests.