Perceptions about Graves’ Disease: A qualitative study on reports of patients in Euthyroidism and with Ophthalmopathy under a Brazilian university specialized outpatient follow-up

Introduction Knowing mental representations about the phenomenon of illness and medical care allows clinical team to have better emotional handling their patients, with gains in greater adherence treatments. Graves’ Ophthalmopathy is an inflammatory disease primary involvement extraocular muscles orbit, being most frequent extrathyroidal manifestation Disease. Many patients psychological status changes even after successful treatment hyperthyroidism, especially when disfiguring signs ophthalmopathy are predominant. An understanding symbolic aspects linked this condition help doctors nurses a relationship more harmonious them. Objectives To interpret meanings reports euthyroidism under follow-up at specialized university endocrinology outpatient follow-up, discussing contradictions perceived between stigmatized body clinical-laboratory euthyroidism. Methods Clinical-Qualitative design Turato. Data was collected using Semi-directed interviews open-ended questions in-depth, carried out hospital service South-eastern Brazil. The interview material audio-recorded fully transcribed. were treated by Content Analysis described Seven Steps’ Faria-Schützer. It based on psychodynamic concepts from Medical Psychology theoretical framework, whose main author Michael Balint. sample closed Theoretical Saturation Information studied Fontanella cols. finding validation has occurred peers Laboratory Research, State University Campinas, San Paolo. Results composed 10 patients. From search nuclei reports, four categories analysis constructed: 1) “No, not normal, I must cancer”: psychodynamics doctor-patient Disease; 2) Types according manifestations auto-perception: silent non-silent ones; 3) “The eyes everything”: impacts alterations ophthalmopathy; 4) contradiction perception laboratory normality stigmas ophthalmopathy. Conclusions severe exophthalmos, maintained distress despite euthyroid, manifested various reported interviews. diagnosis Disease alone sufficiently capable responding demands Proper listening attributed can physicians setting Disclosure Interest None Declared