title: Vitiligo and overt thyroid diseases: A nationwide population-based study in Korea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Associations between vitiligo and thyroid diseases have been reported repeatedly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the associations between vitiligo and overt autoimmune thyroid diseases and thyroid cancer using the Korean National Health Insurance claims database.
  
  
  METHODS
  We defined patients with vitiligo as those whose records showed ≥4 physician contacts between 2009 and 2013 in which vitiligo was the principal diagnosis. We also established an age- and sex-matched control group without vitiligo (2 per 1 vitiligo patient). The outcomes of interest were concurrent Graves disease and Hashimoto thyroiditis (the patients were taking relevant thyroid medications) and thyroid cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study enrolled 73,336 vitiligo patients and 146,672 controls. Patients with vitiligo were at increased risks of Graves disease (odds ratio [OR] 2.610 [95% confidence interval {CI} 2.319-02.938]), Hashimoto thyroiditis (OR 1.609 [95% CI 1.437-1.802]), and thyroid cancer (OR 1.127 [95% CI 1.022-1.242]), compared with the controls. The associations were consistently stronger in males and younger patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individual clinical information was not available, and the homogeneous population may limit the generalizability of the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitiligo was significantly associated with overt autoimmune thyroid diseases and overt thyroid cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: June Hyunkyung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Seung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byeol
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Seoul, Korea. Electronic address: dermahan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tae Young
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Graves disease; Hashimoto thyroiditis; autoimmune thyroiditis; hyperthyroidism; hypothyroidism; thyroid cancer; vitiligo