VITILIGO, THYROID DISEASE AND AUTOIMMUNITY

Abstract

SUMMARY. There is a significant association between vitiligo and thyroid disease. Thyroglobulin antibodies are significantly associated with vitiligo, whether patients with psoriasis or a general practice population are taken as controls. Similarly complement-fixing antibodies are significantly associated with vitiligo as compared with psoriasis. There is no evidence that thyroid autoimmunity is associated positively or negatively with psoriasis. Alopecia areata, pernicious anaemia and diabetes mellitus are also significantly associated with vitiligo.