Diagnosis, Follow-Up and Treatment Results in Thyroid Ophthalmopathy

To discuss our follow-up and treatment results in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO).

The records of 168 TAO cases who were followed at our clinic between October 1998 and October 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. The severity and activity of the disease were evaluated according to the criteria of the European Group on Graves' Ophthalmopathy (EUGOGO) and Clinical Activity Score (CAS).

Sixty-three men and 105 women participated in the study. The mean age of the patients was 42.3±12.4 years. Smoking habit was noted in 54.2% of the cases. Graves' disease was the most common (80.4%) thyroid pathology accompanying TAO. TAO was mild in 64.4%, moderate-to-severe in 33.6% and severe in 2% of the eyes. Male gender was found as an independent risk factor for severity of the disease (p=0.040). TAO was in the active phase in 32.6% of the eyes. Older age and high thyroid receptor antibody titer were correlated with disease activity (P=0.031 and P<0.001, respectively). Thirty-four patients (20%) were treated for ocular findings. The most common treatment was systemic steroid therapy (12%); others included orbital decompression (5%), orbital radiotherapy (2%), and topical application of guanethidine (1%).

Non-infiltrative phase and mild ocular findings were generally seen in TAO. Therefore, treatment is not recommended for many cases. Systemic steroid therapy is the most commonly used treatment modality in the active phase. However, orbital decompression surgery is necessary in a small number of cases with sight-threatening ocular findings.