Purpose: The aim of our study was to investigate the frequency of auto-immune diseases in patients suffering from autoimmune thyroid diseases.
Method: We realised a retrospective study from 1981 to 1993 including 218 patients suffering from thyroiditis who were followed in the same hospital service. There were 202 women and 16 men with a mean age 49 at the moment their thyroid pathology was discovered.
Results: Thirty patients had one or more autoimmune disease associated to their thyroid disorders, representing 13.7% of total patients. The two most frequent autoimmune diseases were lupus and Sjögren's syndrome. In 17 cases the diagnosis of the associated autoimmune disease was made simultaneously. The systemic disease preceded with an 8-year delay the thyroid disease in five cases, and the thyroid disease was annunciatory in eight cases with a delay of 5 years. The frequency of autoimmune diseases seems to be higher in patients suffering from thyroid disorders than in the general population. They are probably common physiopathological mechanisms.
Conclusion: The frequency of these associations suggests the need for a long-lasting survey of those patients having thyroid disorders. Initial evaluation and a regular checking in patients suffering from an autoimmune disease is recommenced.