Screening Guidelines for Thyroid Function in Children with Alopecia Areata

In a retrospective chart review study conducted at an outpatient pediatric dermatology clinic, 298 children diagnosed with alopecia areata (AA) were screened for thyroid function to establish guidelines for such screenings. The study, which spanned from January 1, 2008, to January 1, 2016, found that 19.8% of the patients had abnormal thyroid test results. Hypothyroidism, primarily due to Hashimoto thyroiditis, was the most common abnormality, followed by hyperthyroidism from Graves' disease and subclinical thyroid dysfunction. The study concluded that routine thyroid function screening in children with AA should be limited to those with a personal history of Down syndrome, atopy, a family history of thyroid disease, or clinical signs suggesting thyroid dysfunction. No commercial support was identified for this study.