Psychopathological Analysis of Adolescent Girls With Autoimmune Thyroiditis.

aimClinical studies indicate that there is an association between high levels of thyroid autoantibodies and psychiatric disorders, independent of impairment of thyroid function. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between thyroid autoimmunity and mood disorders in euthyroid girls with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) in a case-control study. MATERIAL AND

methodsWe recruited 82 participants: 41 pubertal female patients with thyroiditis from endocrine outpatient clinics and a control group of 41 healthy pubertal girls from the University Hospital. Age ranged from 12 to 18 years; the diagnosis of HT was based on high levels of anti-TPO and/or anti-Tg antibodies associated with a hypoechogenic or normal thyroid ultrasound pattern. Other comorbidities known to affect mental and physical health were exclusion factors. All participants underwent a complete thyroid evaluation, assays of serum-free T4, TSH, anti-TPO antibodies, anti-Tg antibodies, and thyroid ultrasonography. They were then referred to a child psychiatrist. A psychiatric diagnosis was made in two steps. First, the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) tests were implemented according to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria to be calculated. Second, the same psychiatrist conducted a K-SADS-PL semi-structured interview while unaware of the children's data.

resultsThere was no significant difference in CDI score between patients with and without HT (

conclusionThis study described severe psychometric impairment in patients with euthyroid HT. We have demonstrated that autoimmune thyroid diseases, even in a euthyroid state, are associated with psychiatric disorders.