Triamcinolone acetonide deep fornix injection for the treatment of upper eyelid retraction in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of triamcinolone acetonide deep fornix injection for the treatment of upper eyelid retraction caused by thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Methods: Case-control study. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 64 eyes in 53 patients with upper eyelid retraction caused by TAO from October 2015 to December 2018. Thirty-nine eyes in 33 patients diagnosed with TAO with upper eyelid retraction were treated with triamcinolone acetonide deep fornix injection (20 mg), once per month until the therapeutic effect was stable, as the treatment group. Twenty-five eyes in 20 patients were not treated (the observation group). The ocular examination indexes of the two groups were compared. Paired t-test and independent sample t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: There were 6 males and 27 females in the treatment group, aged (43±12) years, and 5 males and 15 females in the observation group, aged (40±13) years. There was no significant difference in gender, age, history and baseline ocular examination indexes between the two groups (all P>0.05). In the treatment group, the number of injections was (2.18±0.94) times (range, 1 to 5 times). After (6.74±3.89) months of follow-up, the marginal reflex distance (MRD1) was reduced from (6.85±0.88) mm to (4.38±1.04) mm, the score of quality of life in thyroid eye disease (TED-QOL) was reduced from 22.03±4.33 to 7.91±3.25, and the clinical activity score (CAS) was reduced from 2.82±0.39 to 0.97±0.39 (t=14.68, 21.36, 20.92; all P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the degree of exophthalmos, intraocular pressure, the diameter of the rectus muscle measured by B-ultrasound before and after treatment (all P>0.05). After (8.65±5.15) months of follow-up, the eyelid retraction also improved in the observation group, but the improvement was more obvious in the treatment group. The differences of MRD1, TED-QOL and CAS before and after treatment in the treatment group were (2.46±1.05) mm, 14.06±3.80 and 1.85±0.51 respectively, which were significantly higher than those before and after the follow-up in the observation group [(0.32±0.75) mm, 3.24±2.86 and 0.56±0.58, respectively; t=8.86, 11.90, 8.98; all P<0.01]. There was no recurrence in the two groups. In the treatment group, 5 patients (6 eyes) showed a transient intraocular pressure rise, which was controlled after medication; 3 women had menstrual changes. Conclusions: Deep fornix injection of triamcinolone acetonide for treating upper eyelid retraction is convenient and effective. It can significantly reduce symptoms and improve patients' quality of life. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56:524-529).