[Computerized tomography in endocrine ophthalmopathy with malignant exophthalmos]

CT scanning was done in 16 patients with deterioration of sight in endocrine ophthalmopathy. The assessment involved muscular changes and density of retrobulbar fat. Evaluation of muscular changes was staged. In addition, exophthalmus was graded and evaluated by staging. More than two thirds of patients showed pronounced muscular thickening whereas the remaining patients showed few or no muscular changes. Likewise, in a number of patients exophthalmus could hardly be demonstrated according to Hertel's values. Thus, clinical presentation in a number of patients is relatively mild. Pathophysiologic considerations as to the development of deterioration of sight mainly involve myogenic compression of the optic nerve at its orbital entry. This does not seem to hold true for patients without muscular thickening. In such patients optic nerve affection could be caused by increase of the volume of the fat body.