title: Urticarial vasculitis reveals unsuspected thyroiditis.
abstract: A 38-year-old woman presented with erythematous, violaceous plaques with a serpiginous and unusual appearance located on the left shoulder, left thigh, and right buttock, evolving for 5 days, which eventually became generalized. A skin biopsy revealed leukocytoclastic vasculitis and a diagnosis of urticarial vasculitis was made. The complete blood count, biochemistry, complement levels, and other immunological test results were unremarkable. However, antithyroid antibody titers were increased. Despite having normal thyroid function tests and an absence of specific symptoms, the patient underwent a thyroid ultrasound, which revealed features of thyroiditis, and was subsequently referred to an endocrinologist. Several diseases can be associated with urticarial vasculitis, namely infections and autoimmune connective-tissue disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren syndrome. Thyroiditis is an uncommon association.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Centro Hospitalar de São João EPE and Faculty of Medicine of Porto, Porto, Portugal. ocsferreira@gmail.com
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baudrier
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Azevedo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D018366:Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology