A comparison between bilateral and unilateral thyroid eye disease

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Thyroid eye disease (TED) affects the eyes and can present unilaterally or bilaterally.
• Understanding the differences between unilateral and bilateral TED is crucial for diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical characteristics of unilateral versus bilateral thyroid eye disease (TED).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analytical cross-sectional study of 383 TED patients over 6 years.
• Comparison of demographics, disease activity and severity, thyroid status, and clinical signs between unilateral and bilateral TED groups.

Main Results:

• Bilateral TED cases showed significantly higher disease activity (8.8% vs 0%, P=0.04) and severity (P=0.001).
• Abnormal ocular motility (26.3% vs 2.3%, P=0.001) and proptosis were more prevalent in bilateral TED.
• Thyroid function status distribution differed significantly between unilateral and bilateral groups (P=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Bilateral TED is associated with greater severity, activity, ocular motility abnormalities, and proptosis.
• Hyperthyroidism is more commonly observed in patients with bilateral TED.