[Results of treatment of endocrine orbitopathy]

We registered 101 patients from the ambulatory endocrinological dispensary with an endocrine orbitopathy stage II to VI. The peak of age at the time of the disease was in the fifth decennium of age. Females are four times more, frequently affected than males. Only one third of the patients could be registered and treated at the early stage of the endocrine orbitopathy within the first six months after appearance of the symptoms. The metabolic condition of the thyroid gland was hyperthyroid in 70.3% of the cases. 82.2% of all patients showed a struma. By a thyrostatic treatment of hyperthyroid persons in 14.1% a decrease of Hertel's values and in 31.0% a reduction of the subjective eye complaints was obtained. The parabulbar dexamethasone therapy in each case in circa half the patients resulted in an improvement of Hertel's values as well as of the subjective symptoms. A comparison of the oral dexamethasone and prednisolone showed a more favourable effect, when Hertel's values were measured. It is to be stated that there is not therapeutic remedy of choice of the endocrine orbitopathy, but the combination of several forms of treatment is necessary.