Thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity as determinants of disease severity in alopecia areata: A cross-sectional observational study

Objectives: To study the clinical spectrum of Alopecia areata [AA] and its association with thyroid dysfunction and thyroid autoimmunity. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 68 adults with clinically diagnosed AA were evaluated over 12 months. Demographic details, clinical features, SALT scores, thyroid profiles [T3, T4, TSH], and serum thyroid autoantibodies were recorded and analyzed. Results: Patients with abnormal thyroid function showed significantly higher SALT scores, indicating more severe disease. Longer disease duration was also associated with thyroid autoimmunity. No differences were observed in age, sex, or pattern of AA across thyroid groups. Conclusion: Greater clinical severity and longer disease duration may serve as simple, bedside cues for identifying AA patients who would benefit from thyroid evaluation. A more selective approach to screening may be more meaningful than routine testing for all.