Does hypothyroidism increase the prevalence of chondrocalcinosis?

Abstract

To investigate whether or not there is an association between hypothyroidism (HPT) and chondrocalcinosis (CC) 100 HPT patients and 100 controls matched for the age and sex were evaluated prospectively. All the patients were examined clinically, and X-rays of knees, wrists and pelvis, and biological evaluation of thyroid hormones, calcium, uric acid, iron and alkaline phosphatase levels were recorded. X-rays were assessed independently by two radiologists blind to the thyroid status of the patient. The prevalence of CC was 17% in the HPT patients and 10% in the controls (NS). No correlation was found between CC duration and mechanism or treatment of HPT. We suggest that HPT and CC are two diseases that may co-exist in patients but without any causal or mechanistic relationship.