[Type III polyglandular autoimmune syndrome. Report of a case]

Type III polyglandular syndrome is defines as the association of insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus, thyroid gland affection (hyper or hypothyroidism) and a non endocrinological disease, rheumatological or not. Less common manifestations include pernicious anemia, vitiligo and alopecia. Circulating organ-specific auto antibodies are detected in blood smear and a lymphocyte infiltrate in the affected glands. We report a patient with insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus since the age of 3, who developed hypothyroidism at the age of 14 and severe rheumatoid arthritis at 16. Moderate anemia with positive auto antibodies against parital gastric cells was detected. Treatment with methotrexate and indomethacin was indicated with excellent results regarding her arthritis and after 2 weeks of treatment she began to walk normally again.