Thyroid Disease in Lupus: An Updated Review

Abstract

In the following review, we seek to provide an overview of the current understanding of various thyroid manifestations affecting patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including topics ranging from thyroid-related complications to SLE in pregnancy. Autoimmune diseases tend to coincide, and an association between thyroid disease and SLE has been reported for more than 50 years. There is no evidence that the coexistence of thyroid disease and lupus alters the disease course or manifestations of either. Both hypothyroidism and thyroid nodules are seen more frequently in patients with SLE than in the general population. The rate of thyroid cancer is twice as prevalent in patients with SLE compared with those without SLE. Several forms of thyroid disease are more common among patients with SLE, with adverse consequences in pregnancy. Future work will require delineating the mechanism behind these associations and understanding the role of antirheumatic agents with concomitant thyroid disease.