Thursday, August 14, 2014

Graves orbitopathy

From a recent review:


Graves orbitopathy (GO) is an autoimmune disorder representing the most frequent extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves disease...GO is an inflammatory process characterized by edema and inflammation of the extraocular muscles and an increase in orbital connective tissue and fat...Encouraging smoking cessation and achieving euthyroidism in the individual patient are important. Simple treatment measures such as lubricants for lid retraction, nocturnal ointments for incomplete eye closure, prisms in diplopia, or botulinum toxin injections for upper-lid retraction can be effective in mild cases of GO. Glucocorticoids, orbital radiotherapy, and decompression/rehabilitative surgery are generally indicated for moderate-to-severe GO and for sight-threatening optic neuropathy. Future therapies, including rituximab aimed at treating the molecular and immunological basis of GO, are under investigation and hold promise for the future.

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