Thyroid disease in patients with immune thrombocytopenia.

The literature regarding an association between thyroid disease and immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) suggests that autoimmune thyroid disease is a frequent finding in patients with ITP. A strong association between other systemic autoimmune diseases and autoimmune thyroid diseases is also well documented. Therefore, the combination of autoimmune thyroid disease and ITP could reflect a more significant defect in the immune self-tolerance of these patients compared with those who have primary ITP alone. Such defects may characterize an ITP patient population as more refractory to standard ITP therapy. Screening patients for antithyroid antibodies would identify a patient population at greater risk of developing overt thyroid disease. These patients may be further screened with a thyroid-stimulating hormone assay to detect subclinical thyroid disease.