SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2007

August 7, 2007

Chronic urticaria and thyroid carcinoma

Summary
Background – Evidence of thyroid auto-immunity is present in about 20% of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU).  Some of these CIU patients have or later develop Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.  However, thyroid cancer has not been noted as a frequent accompanying disorder with CIU.

Manganoni et al of the Univ Hospital in Brescia, Italy described 4 women with CIU and occult papillary thyroid Ca.  Removal of the thyroid gland was followed promptly by complete resolution of the CIU.

Reference
J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2007:17:192-5

Editor's Comments
It was not mentioned in this report whether there were anti-thyroid peroxidase (ATP) antibodies in the sera of the 4 patients described above. Elevated serum ATP antibody levels are the most common evidence of thyroid auto-immunity in CIU.  There are occasional case reports of thyroid auto antibodies in the sera of the usual thyroid cancer cases. One report did describe more malignant changes in thyroid nodules in which there were associated anti-thyroid antibodies in the serum (Eur J Endoc 2005;153:637-42).

 

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