I found a very interesting research article “Skin changes associated to hypothyroidism“, in the Spanish language Endocrinología y Nutrición.
The article states:
Skin changes associated with thyroid disease include specific lesions such as thyroglossal duct cyst and skin metastases, nonspecific signs such as those secondary to hormonal changes due to hyperfunction and hypofunction, and dermatological changes associated with thyroid diseases, of which we provide two clinical examples.
Meaning that there are many skin manifestations associated with primary autoimmune hypothyroidism, which include a number of skin diseases common to patients with this condition well as others directly dependent on thyroid function.
Incredibly, the article also lists many skin ailments that would not normally be associated with autoimmune thyroid disease:
Autoimmune thyroid disease is also commonly associated with pemphigus and other bullous diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, erythema annulare centrifugum, generalized granuloma annulare, multicentric reticulohistiocytosis, elastic pseudoxanthoma, reticular erythematous mucinosis, anemia (pernicious anemia, red blood cell aplasia), herpes gestationis, dermatomyositis, Sjögren’s syndrome, polymyositis, other endocrine diseases (acanthosis nigricans, multiple endocrine neoplasia, McCune-Albright syndrome, Sweet’s syndrome), CREST syndrome (calcinosis, Raynaud’s syndrome, esophageal dysfunction, scleroderma, and telangiectasis), psoriasis, Cowden syndrome with multiple hamartomas, ANOTHER syndrome (alopecia, nail dystrophy, hypohydrosis, and ephelides), acropachies,2 and atopic manifestations such as urticaria, dermatographism and angioedema.3–5
Skin changes that are directly dependent on thyroid hypofunction include:
- Typically dry, pale, and cold skin due to decreased capillary flow, sweating, and thermogenesis; palmoplantar keratoderma, which may become generalized and convert into xeroderma, but dramatically responds to replacement therapy.
- Keratosis pilaris of follicles leading to permanent alopecia, thinned hair, and lateral loss of eyebrows. It may be associated with livedo reticularis in the limbs.6
- Generalized myxedema or cutaneous mucinosis, due to the accumulation of hyaluronic acid and glycosaminoglycans in the skin. This causes the characteristic hypothyroid facies: thick skin, periorbital edema, and mucosal thickening with dysphonia. There may be periocular hyperpigmentation (Jellinek’s sign)7 and hypercarotenemia due to the lack of hepatic metabolism of carotene, which accumulates in the corneal layer, is excreted in sweat, and becomes deposited in areas rich in sebaceous glands.
- An uncommon lesion related to primary hypothyroidism and autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type I, erythema annulare centrifugum, consists of a ring-shaped eruption with central clearing occurring in the buttocks, thighs, and proximal part of the arms. Histological examination shows a perivascular lymphocyte infiltrate in the middle and deep dermis.8
- Granuloma annulare and oral lichen planus, not well known by most endocrinologists, may also be associated with hypothyroidism. Two cases are reported here, and their relationship to autoimmune thyroid disease is analyzed.
This research article really educated me, because I had no idea that these skin conditions could be related to thyroid function. Fortunately, there’s a natural way to heal your thyroid. See my article “Nigella Sativa reverses Hypothyroid“.
