Clinical profile of thyroid eye disease and factors predictive of disease severity

To describe the clinical features of thyroid eye disease (TED) in patients presenting at a tertiary eye care centre in North India and to identify factors predictive of severe disease.

This observational cross-sectional study involved clinical evaluation of all patients with TED who presented at the oculoplastic clinic based on the ITEDS VISA proforma. Risk factors for the severe disease were assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

A total of 106 patients (50 males, 56 females; mean age 41.30 ± 14.76 years) were identified during the study period, 46.23% hyperthyroid, 33.96% hypothyroid and 19.81% euthyroid. The proportion of the patients with hypothyroid was higher as compared with prior studies and most patients with hypothyroid had the mild disease (63.89%). Orbitopathy symptoms were the presenting feature leading to the diagnosis of systemic thyroid abnormality in 25% of the patients with hypothyroid and 59.18% of the patients with hyperthyroid, respectively (P < 0.05). Eyelid and orbitopathy signs were more common in the patients with hyperthyroid (51.2% and 87.7%) as compared with hypothyroid where the commonest presenting symptoms were related to dry eye (50.1%). Active disease was seen in 22.6% of the patients. Mild, moderate to severe and sight-threatening disease was seen in 54.7%, 37.7% and 7.5%, respectively. On multivariate analyses, hyperthyroid status and activity was associated with severe disease. Smoking was not associated with activity or severity.

There is no significant difference in the gender profile of the patients with TED in this cohort. The patients with hypothyroid have a milder disease compared to the patients with hyperthyroid, and dry eye symptoms are the commonest presenting symptoms in hypothyroid subjects. Hyperthyroidism and activity were associated with severe and sight-threatening disease.