Fifteen patients presenting with inflammatory polyarthritis who had Hashimoto's thyroiditis were investigated. Only 2/15 had frank myxoedema, 8/15 had incipient hypothyroidism (raised levels of thyrotropin or early symptoms of mild hypothyroidism), and 5/15 were euthyroid (thyrotropin levels normal). The presence or absence of rheumatoid factor (RF) distinguished two subgroups with different se...
