Vision-Related Quality of Life Tends to be More Severely Impaired in Patients with Dysthyroid Optic Neuropathy

Abstract

Purpose: Dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) is the most severe condition in thyroid eye disease (TED); however, no study has been conducted to assess quality of life in these patients to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate vision-related quality of life in TED patients with DON using a Chinese version of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (CHI-VFQ-25).Methods: The CHI-VFQ-25 scores were compared for 23 TED patients with DON and 13 TED patients without DON. The correlations between the clinical characteristics and subscale scores on the CHI-VFQ-25 and the floor and ceiling effects of the CHI-VFQ-25 were also assessed.Results: Patients with DON scored significantly lower than patients without DON on the CHI-VFQ-25 (composite score: 54 versus 77, respectively, p = 0.001). Many subscales were significantly correlated with the severity and activity of the disease (p < 0.05). In patients with DON, no floor effects were found, and ceiling effects were only observed for Color vision, Peripheral vision and Social function. Role limitations and Mental health were the lowest scores in all the subscales.Conclusions: The current study showed that vision-related quality of life tended to be more severely impaired in TED patients with DON than in patients without DON. The CHI-VFQ-25 may be a promising tool to estimate the benefits of interventions in patients with DON.