Clinical analysis of proptosis in a tertiary care hospital of South India

Abstract

Context: Comprehensive data on various etiologies of proptosis is a necessity in guiding the ophthalmologists and physicians for early diagnosis and treatment. AIMS: This study aimed to describe the clinical presentation, spectrum of etiology, treatment modality, and outcome among patients with proptosis. Settings And Design: A longitudinal study was conducted in the department of ophthalmology of a tertiary care hospital, Karnataka, from December 2010 to December 2011. Participants And Methods: All the study participants who satisfied inclusion and exclusion criteria were interviewed with a pretested and validated schedule. Detailed clinical evaluation of proptosis was done after obtaining informed consent. Every case was followed up till the end of treatment. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows, Version 16.0. (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results were expressed as frequencies and proportions for categorical variables and mean and standard deviations for continuous variables. Results: Fifty patients completed the study and nearly half were in the age group of 41–60 years. Axial proptosis was the most common type. Nearly one-third required surgical treatment and was significantly high (P Conclusions: Thyroid eye disease and other inflammatory disorders were the major etiology of proptosis. Extremes of age and unilaterality and eccentricity of proptosis clearly distinguish neoplastic causes from that of inflammatory. Considering the diverse etiology of the diseases causing proptosis, definitive management varies accordingly. The site of lesion causing proptosis is of prognostic value during orbitotomies with higher complications occurring with intraconal lesions.