Diagnosis , Follow - Up and Treatment Results in Thyroid

156 Address for Correspondence: Esra Savku MD, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara, Turkey Phone: +90 312 595 62 60 E-mail: [email protected] Received: 11.06.2014 Accepted: 02.11.2014 Objectives: To discuss our follow-up and treatment results in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Ma te ri als and Met hods: The records of 168 TAO cases who were followed at our clinic between October 1998 and October 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. The severity and activity of the disease were evaluated according to the criteria of the European Group on Graves’ Ophthalmopathy (EUGOGO) and Clinical Activity Score (CAS). Re sults: Sixty-three men and 105 women participated in the study. The mean age of the patients was 42.3±12.4 years. Smoking habit was noted in 54.2% of the cases. Graves’ disease was the most common (80.4%) thyroid pathology accompanying TAO. TAO was mild in 64.4%, moderate-to-severe in 33.6% and severe in 2% of the eyes. Male gender was found as an independent risk factor for severity of the disease (p=0.040). TAO was in the active phase in 32.6% of the eyes. Older age and high thyroid receptor antibody titer were ngs. The most common treatment was systemic steroid therapy (12%); others included orbital decompression (5%), orbital radiotherapy (2%), and topical application of guanethidine (1%). Conclusion: many cases. Systemic steroid therapy is the most commonly used treatment modality in the active phase. However, orbital decompression