Luana Zuga, D.M. Preda, I.M. Stefanescu, D.I. Buiuca, A. Marin, A. Mirica
Abstract
Hashimoto thyroiditis is the most common cause of thyroid disease in children and adolescents. We aimed to examine the prevalence of Hashimoto thyroiditis, its associations with other diseases, with vitamin D insufficiency and the necessity for substitution therapy in children and adolescents who presented at our endocrinology department over the course of one year (2024). Methods: This is a retrospective observational study in which we included 73 patients. We collected variables such as age, sex, Tanner stage, BMI, family history of chronic thyroiditis (first- or second-degree relatives), laboratory findings such as TSH, fT4 and 25 OH vitamin D, the necessity of treatment with levothyroxine and the association with other autoimmune diseases. Results: Patients’ ages ranged from 4 to 17 years and 11 months old, with a mean age of 13 years old, 72% were girls and 28% boys. Thyroid function was normal in 53.4% cases, subclinical hypothyroidism was observed in 24.7%, overt hypothyroidism in 19.2% and hyperthyroidism onset in 2 cases. We found that 23.3% of the patients associated other autoimmune pathology, listed in order of frequency: type 1 diabetes (6.8%), vitiligo (5.4%), atopic dermatitis (2 cases), psoriasis (2 cases) and alopecia areata (2 cases). Conclusions: Vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency was present in 43.8% of the patients with autoimmune thyroiditis only and 33% of the patients that associated other autoimmune disease. Although the scientific literature establishes the very important role of genetics in the pathophysiology of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the majority of our subjects did not have a family history of thyroiditis (70%). Furthermore, only 30% of the patients needed levothyroxine substitution, 20% percent of the patients associated other autoimmune pathology and 72% of them were girls, but the lack of significant results in statistical correlation highlights the need for larger patient cohorts and a control group of healthy subjects.
DOI : 10.62610/RJOR.2025.1.17.38
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