Atrophic Autoimmune Thyroiditis Complicated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis (AAT) is a type of autoimmune thyroiditis that causes hypothyroidism without thyroid enlargement. AAT is distinguished from Hashimoto's disease (HD) by the absence of thyroid enlargement. AAT is rare in children and clinically characterized by severe primary hypothyroidism. Autoimmune thyroiditis, especially HD, is commonly complicated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we reported the patient with AAT as the initial presentation of SLE complicated with generalized myxedema, whose presentation was a diagnostic challenge. This patient illustrates the importance of the early recognition of an atypical presentation of SLE patients with autoimmune thyroiditis. It is possible that similar cases have existed in the past but have been overlooked as HD. A large scale study is necessary to clarify the reality of AAT in SLE.