An Update on Alopecia and its Association With Thyroid Autoimmune Diseases

touchREV Endocrinol. 2023 Nov;19(2):54-59. doi: 10.17925/EE.2023.19.2.10. Epub 2023 Aug 8.

Abstract

Alopecia is comorbid with several illnesses, including various autoimmune conditions such as thyroid disease. Leukocyte-mediated inflammation of hair follicles in alopecia was first described over a century ago. However, the high prevalence of the role of thyroid autoimmune disease in the pathogenesis of alopecia has only recently come to light, together with a strong association between the two. Therefore, this review focuses on articles published between 2011 and 2022 on alopecia's association with thyroid autoimmune disease, and the mechanism behind it. In addition, it highlights the link between alopecia and thyroid cancer, as patients with alopecia have increased risk of thyroid cancer. In conclusion, this comprehensive, focused, scoping review will serve as a reference highlighting recent information on alopecia, exploring its association with thyroid autoimmune diseases.

Keywords: Alopecia; autoimmune thyroiditis; focused review; thyroid autoimmune diseases and alopecia; thyroid cancer; thyroid cancer and alopecia.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

Support: No funding was received in the publication of this article.