Thyroid diseases and skin disorders in pediatric patients

Aim. Thyroid disorders have a high prevalence in medical practice; they are associated with a wide range of diseases, which they may or may not share etiological factors with. One of the organs showing pathological manifestations is the skin, therefore, it is not surprising that patients with thyroid diseases show a large variety of skin changes; the majority of them are not the only association, however, they may provide valuable clues in diagnosing thyroid diseases. Cutaneous changes, in fact, are frequently the first manifestation to be noted. Furthermore, the link between skin disorders and thyroid diseases in pediatric patients is very subtle. This study focuses on specific cutaneous/thyroid lesions and non specific cutaneous alterations of the hyperthyroid and hypothyroid states, as well as frequent associations of thyroid diseases with other cutaneous and/or systemic disorders in pediatric patients. Methods. An epidemiological study was performed on 123 consecutive pediatric patients (100 female, 23 male; F/M: 4.34/1; mean age: 15.57+6.95 years) with a thyroid disease, treated in the Endocrinology Unit of the Pediatric Department, Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. Results. Non-specific manifestations secondary to hyperthyroid and hypothyroid states were found to be xerosis, keratosis pilaris, hyperhidrosis, hypertrichosis, striae cutis distensae. Conclusion. The well known clinical aspects of hypo- and hyperthyroidism were not found in our study, but the close relationship between skin and thyroid diseases in young patients have to be stressed.