Radiotherapy in the management of Graves' ophthalmopathy

To report the results of radiotherapy for patients with failure, adverse reactions or relative contraindications to the use of steroids or immunosuppressants, by using newly developed quantitative indexes.

Fourteen female and six male patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy were treated with radiotherapy between 1989 and 1996. Prior to radiotherapy, eight patients received treatment with prednisone, four received immunosuppressants and four received a combination of both. Four patients with contraindications to steroids were initially managed with radiotherapy. Most of the patients received a dose of 24-28 Gy in 2 Gy fractions. We used the newly developed motility limitation index to assess extraocular motility.

Treatment was well tolerated. There have been no late complications. All 12 patients with soft tissue signs such as edema, irritation, tearing and pain were improved. Proptosis did not improve or improved only slightly, 3 mm at best. However, proptosis in all but two has been stabilized and has not deteriorated in the follow-up period. Most of the patients have experienced an improvement of eye-muscle motility. Extraocular muscles that work for elevation were impaired more severely than the other muscles and this tended to remain. Of the 16 patients using steroids before or when radiotherapy was initiated, 15 were tapered off and only one patient required additional steroids, thus sparing the majority from steroid adverse reactions.

Radiotherapy was effective in preventing exacerbations of active inflammatory ophthalmopathy in patients with Graves' disease with minimal morbidity and thus eliminated the adverse reactions associated with protracted corticosteroid use. The newly developed motility limitation index was useful in detecting delicate changes in motility of individual extraocular muscles.