Hypothyroidism and it's connection with Alopecia in a toddler

[Shely__0]

  Just before my son's first birthday I noticed a bald spot on his head about the size of a dime, within two months his hair was completely gone.  He was quickly diagnosed with alopecia.  About 6 months later I noticed that the glands in his neck seem to always be swollen.  He was sent to an endocrinologist and diagnosed him with hypothyroidism.  The endocrinologist commented that it is very rare to have a toddler that has this disease and alopecia at the same time.  We were given a steroid cream to apply to his head for his hair loss and synthroid for the hypothyroidism.  I'm wondering if it is possible that he has neither of these diseases and that there maybe some other underlying problem.  Have you ever heard of a child that has these problems or an idea of what else this could be?

[HFHS.RN-AM]

Dear Shelly,
Hypothyroidism and alopecia can be caused by autoimmunity. This means
that the body is attacking the thyroid gland and the hair follicle as if they were "foreign" tissue. The two disorders are often seen together and are
sometimes associated with other autoimmune condiitions because they all have the same underlying problem.  It is unusual to see autoimmune
conditions like hypothyroidism and alopecia in very young children like your son. However tests can be done to determine if he really has these "autoimmune" conditions (like measuring anti-thyroid antibodies). These
tests can be done by specialists like pediatric endocrinologists and
dermatologists.
HFHS.RN-AM
*KEYWORD:  Alopecia, Hypothyroidism, Autoimmune disease, Thyroid