THYROID EYE DISEASE

Thyroid Eye Disease - Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Table of Contents

Summary of “Update on Thyroid Eye Disease”1

Summary of “Thyroid Disease and the Eye”2

Types of treatment3

Eyelid Repair3

Orbital Decompression3

Prisms3

Double Vision Correction4

Conclusion4

References5

Thyroid Eye Disease - Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Summary of “Update on Thyroid Eye Disease”

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is also called thyroid-related immune orbitopathy. A quarter percent of Graves patients suffer from Thyroid eye disease. Most patients display only mild symptoms like ocular irritation with redness and tearing. However, 28% of them show severe symptoms like restricted motility leading to diplopia, exposure keratopathy and optic neuropathy (Bernardino, 2009).

Study revealed that women have six times (6x) more chances of getting affected with TED. Most TED patients are also patients of Graves, which could be understood with a regular check up of TED, as it is important in terms of increasing severity. A healthy relationship should be maintained between the ophthalmologists and the patient. For this, a three-visit schedule is ideal: onset of thyroid dysfunction, acute onset of TED and stable condition of TED. In the stable stage, the physician may focus on cosmetic results whereas in the acute stage the patient's consent may be taken regarding surgical intervention.

TED is clinically diagnosed on eyelid retraction in the absence of which presence of optic neuropathy, extra ocular myopathy, or exophthalmos with thyroid dysfunction is checked. Where diagnosis remains uncertain, image study can be used. Both traditional and digital infrared thermal imaging is used for diagnosis.

Smoking is one of the core causes of TED. Medication, radiation and surgery are the three management tools for TED. Steroids are usually avoided due to their side effects. One to eight weeks of radiotherapy has been found effective. Surgical methods of treatment include diplopia, optic neuropathy, cosmesis and corneal exposure. The most invasive surgery is performed first. Unfortunately, some patients also require multiple surgeries.

Summary of “Thyroid Disease and the Eye”

The article provides information on the link between thyroid eye disease and other problems related to the eye, how the eye gets affected by TED and the detection and treatment of TED. TED is closely related to Graves which is an autoimmune disease that makes the body destroy itself. It produces antibodies that stick to thyroid gland and increase the production of thyroid hormone. Other than graves, toxic nodular goiter and Hashimotos's thyroiditis have also found to be related to TED (Hatton, 2011).

In the affected patient, ...