Thyroid Eye Disease
Thyroid eye disease is due to complex interaction of the thyroid gland and the orbital tissue. It manifests differently in each patient. Typically patients may have increasingly prominent eyes (proptosis), eyelid retraction, double vision, dry eyes and even vision loss.
Urgent evaluation is necessary due to risk of a severe dry eye due to inability to close the eyes, loss of vision or double vision. Surgery can help these patients, but most may need multiple surgeries to restore the cosmetic and functional appearance of the eye sockets. This can include orbital decompression, eye muscle surgery and eyelid retraction repair. It requires teamwork between orbital surgeons, neuro-ophthalmologists, strabismologists and endocrinologists. |