Are there any indicative signs in colour Doppler imaging of de novo development thyroid orbitopathy after radioiodine treatment

Abstract

Aims/Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify indicative signs in doppler flow parameters in the central retinal artery (CRA) and ophthalmic artery (OA) which might be associated with de novo development of thyroid‐associated orbitopathy in the early period after radioiodine treatment in patients with Graves disease.Methods: 82 patients with hyperthyroidism were enrolled: 44 with Graves disease and 38 with toxic nodular goitre. In both groups, blood flow parameters in the CRA and OA were analysed before and 2 and 4 weeks after radioiodine administration. The peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end‐diastolic velocity (EDV) were evaluated, and the resistive index (RI) was calculated.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the PSV, EDV or RI between groups at baseline and 4 weeks after radioiodine administration. Two weeks after radioiodine administration, the RI in the CRA and EDV in the OA were significantly lower, and the EDV in the CRA was higher in patients with Graves disease than in patients with toxic nodular goitre. There was an inverse correlation between baseline thyrotropin receptor autoantibody (TRAb) levels and the difference between the RI at weeks 4 and 2 (RI3‐RI2) in the CRA and a positive correlation between the baseline anti‐thyroid peroxidase antibody concentration and RI3‐RI2 in the OA.Conclusions: Administration of radioiodine results in more prominent features of hyperkinetic circulation. Patients with Graves disease and high TRAb titers have a lower sensitivity to radioiodine treatment. High TRAb titers suggest higher disease activity and a weaker therapeutic effect of radioiodine.