EVALUATION OF THYROID ULTRASOUND FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS COMBINED AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS

Abstract

The frequency of autoimmune thyroid pathology in rheumatoid arthritis is significantly higher than the population level (4-13.5 vs. 1-6%), so the main attention of patients with RA should be directed to the dynamic control of the functional state of the thyroid. Hereditary predisposition plays an important role in the development of RA and autoimmune thyroid diseases - hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease) and chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). Patients suffering from rheumatological diseases tend to develop thyroid autoimmune pathology in a high frequency, which is explained by the presence of common immunological mechanisms in the development of the above diseases. This predetermines the need for thyroid function screening in patients with rheumatological diseases.