Epidemiology, presentation and long-term evolution of Graves' disease in children, adolescents and young adults with Turner syndrome.

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies on the association between Turner syndrome (TS) and Graves' disease (GD) are sparse and no studies are available on the clinical course of GD in TS.

OBJECTIVES

To retrospectively investigate the GD prevalence in children and young adults with TS and to compare the GD course in patients with or without TS who were followed up for 4.1 ± 0.6 and 4.5 ± 3.7 years, respectively.

DESIGN

The prevalence of GD in 408 TS patients was evaluated; presentation and evolution of GD under therapy were evaluated both in 7 patients with TS (group A) and in 89 patients without TS (group B).

RESULTS

(a) The prevalence of GD in TS patients was 1.7%; (b) GD in TS was not associated with a specific karyotype; (c) with respect to group B patients, those of group A exhibited at presentation more advanced age, a lower fT4 level and more frequent association with other autoimmune diseases, and (d) the clinical course under methimazole therapy was not different in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of GD in children and young adults with TS is 1.7% and in TS patients, GD presents later and its clinical course is not different than in those without TS.