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Endocrine Abstracts (2013) 32 P1074 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.32.P1074

1Nicolina Medical Center, Iasi, Romania; 2University of Medicine ‘Gr T Popa’, Iasi, Romania; 3University of Medicine ‘V Babes’, Timisoara, Romania; 4Individual Endocrinology Center Dr Miron Claudia, Iasi, Romania.


Vitiligo is a common skin depigmenting disease, which is thought to have, at least partly, an autoimmune etiology.

Our objective was to compare the frequency of thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO) in vitiligo patients over a period of 3 years (2010–2012) in our Department.

Methods: Anti-TPO levels were assessed in order to detect any correlation with the onset, the evolution and the treatment of vitiligo. Patients with vitiligo and with known thyroid disease, history of thyroid surgery and those receiving thyroid medications were not included.

Conclusions: According to our study, high levels of anti-TPO were shown to be more common in vitiligo patients, especially in young women. As this antibody is a relatively sensitive and specific marker of autoimmune thyroid disorders and considering the fact that vitiligo usually precedes the onset of thyroid dysfunction, periodic follow-up of vitiligo patients for detecting thyroid disease, is further emphasized especially in young women with increased level of anti-TPO.

As vitiligo usually appears before the development of the thyroid disease, it may be advantageous to screen thyroid functions and antibody levels in all patients with vitiligo – this is the observation addressed to the dermatologists.

A patient diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis by the endocrinologist must be referred to a dermatologist in order to discover the first lesions of vitiligo, especially in the pediatric field.

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