Idiopathic heart block: Association with vitiligo, thyroid disease, pernicious anaemia, and diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Out of 100 patients with chronic heart block 16 had one or more autoimmune disorders—namely, vitiligo (5,) hypothyroidism (4), Graves's disease (1), pernicious anaemia (2), and diabetes mellitus (9). All these disorders occurred with greater frequency than normal and were more prevalent than in a group of hospital inpatients of comparable age. Autoantibodies were not increased. We suggest that among patients with idiopathic heart block there is a subgroup with multiple autoimmune disorders. © 1975, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.