Ocular Surface Changes in Patients with Thyroid Eye Disease: An Observational Clinical Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology
• Ocular Surface Disease

Background:

• Thyroid eye disease (TED) is an autoimmune condition affecting the orbits.
• Ocular surface changes are common in TED patients.
• Distinguishing between active and inactive TED is crucial for management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare ocular surface parameters in active TED, inactive TED, and control groups.
• To identify specific changes associated with active versus inactive thyroid eye disease.

Main Methods:

• Observational clinical study involving 60 eyes across three groups: active TED (CAS ≥3/7), inactive TED (CAS <3/7), and controls.
• Assessment of palpebral fissure height, proptosis, lagophthalmos, OSDI, Schirmer test, CFS, NITBUT, TMH, LLT, meiboscore, MGD, and thyroid antibodies.

Main Results:

• Active TED patients reported significantly higher OSDI scores (40.0) than inactive TED patients (26.5).
• Significant differences observed in palpebral fissure height, proptosis, and lagophthalmos between active and inactive TED.
• Active TED showed reduced tear secretion, increased meibomian gland loss, and significant corneal fluorescein staining compared to inactive TED.

Conclusions:

• Ocular surface parameters differ significantly between active and inactive TED, and compared to controls.
• These findings underscore the distinct impact of disease activity on the ocular surface.
• Further research is warranted to validate these observations.