Eponymous symptoms of skin lesions and their appendages in thyroid pathology

Abstract

Background. Skin is the largest organ in the human body, closely intertwined anatomically and physiologically with all other organs and systems. The thyroid gland, as one of the largest endocrine glands, is no exception. The thyroid-skin connection is morphologically determined by the presence of thyroid hormone receptors in virtually all cell populations. Clinically, this connection is confirmed by the involvement of one organ in the pathological process when the other is affected. In addition to the general clinical symptoms of skin and adnexal lesions associated with thyroid disease, such as thyroid dermopathy, there are many eponymous symptoms and signs named after the researchers who first described them. Some of these are variants of well-described general skin changes associated with thyroid disease. Others can be considered stages in the development of the same pathological process over the course of a chronic disease. Also, some of the described symptoms are nonspecific, in which thyroid disease is one of many underlying causes. The recognition and accurate interpretation of such clinical manifestations may be crucial for prompt diagnosis by a dermatologist, as well as by an endocrinologist, especially in cases of marked cutaneous manifestations.
Objective. The purpose of this article was to describe existing eponymous symptoms of skin and adnexal lesions associated with thyroid disease, with an emphasis on their correct interpretation. In our study we have reviewed Pemberton's sign, Enroth's sign, Ber's sign, Jellinek's sign, Hertoghe's sign, Plummer's nails and have evaluated their correlation with a thyroid pathology. This paper also addresses the specificity of some symptoms described in thyroid diseases and their proper assessment by a dermatologist and endocrinologist.