Management Of Thyroid-associated Ophthalmopathy Research Articles

Research progress and application of artificial intelligence in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy.

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a complicated orbitopathy related to dysthyroid, which severely destroys the facial appearance and life quality without medical interference. The diagnosis and management of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy are extremely intricate, as the number of professional ophthalmologists is limited and inadequate compared with the number of patients. Nowadays, medical applications based on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have been developed, which have proved effective in screening many chronic eye diseases. The advanced characteristics of automated artificial intelligence devices, such as rapidity, portability, and multi-platform compatibility, have led to significant progress in the early diagnosis and elaborate evaluation of these diseases in clinic. This study aimed to provide an overview of recent artificial intelligence applications in clinical diagnosis, activity and severity grading, and prediction of therapeutic outcomes in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. It also discussed the current challenges and future prospects of the development of artificial intelligence applications in treating thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

Progress in the pathogenesis of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy and new drug development.

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is the most common extrathyroidal manifestation of toxic diffuse goiter (Graves' disease), also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy/orbitopathy. As an organ-specific autoimmune disease, the pathogenesis of TAO is still unclear. In recent years, great progress has been made in revealing the mechanism of TAO. Various biological and immunosuppressive agents have emerged in an endless stream, showing encouraging results. Strengthening the basic research, establishing ideal animal models, deeply understanding the pathogenesis, and developing novel targeted drugs are of great significance to guide the clinical diagnosis and management of TAO and improve the prognosis of patients.

Selenium supplementation in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy: an update.

The therapeutic effect of selenium (Se) has already been proven in thyroid disease and thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). In spite of clear scientific proof of its benefits in TAO, there appears to be no clear agreement among the clinicians regarding its optimum dose, duration of the treatment, efficacy and safety to date. In this review, the author summarises the findings of 135 English language articles published on this subject over the past four decades from 1973 to 2013. The regulation and metabolism of thyroid hormones require a steady supply of Se and recent studies have revealed several possible mechanisms by which Se improves the severity of thyroid disease and TAO. These mechanisms include 1) inhibitory effect of HLA-DR molecule expression on thyrocytes; 2) profound reductions of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor antibodies (TSHR-Ab) and TPO antibodies (TPO-Ab); 3) prevention of dysregulation of cell-mediated immunity and B cell function; 4) neutralising reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibition of redox control processes required for the activation, differentiation and action of lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells involved in both acute and chronic orbital inflammation in TAO; 5) inhibition of expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and 6) inhibition of prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis. An increased oxidative stress has been observed in both acute and chronic phases of thyroid disease with raised tissue concentrations of ROS. The benefits of Se supplementation in individuals with TAO appear to be proportionate to the degree of systemic activity of the thyroid disease. The maximal benefit of Se supplementation is therefore seen in the subjects who are hyperthyroid. Restoration of euthyroidism is one of the main goals in the management of TAO and when anti-thyroid drugs are combined with Se, the patients with Graves' disease (GD) and autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) achieved euthyroidism faster than those treated with anti-thyroid drugs alone. Se status of normal adult humans can vary widely and Se supplementation may confer benefit only if serum Se levels are insufficient. The author recommends that serum Se levels of patients with TAO to be assessed prior to and during Se supplementation at regular intervals to avoid potential iatrogenic chronic Se overdose.

Orbital Decompression for Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy in England: Trends over Time and Geographical Variation

Aims: The aims of this study were to examine trends over time and geographical variation in the annual incidence of surgical orbital decompression for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) in England.Methods: Data on hospital admissions for orbital decompression surgery in patients with thyroid disease were analysed using English national Hospital Episode Statistics for admissions from 1991–2011.Results: Annual rates of orbital decompression surgery performed for patients with thyroid disease increased from 0.06 (95% confidence interval, 0.04--0.09) per 100,000 population in 1991, to 0.62 (0.54--0.67) in 2008, and then fell to 0.56 (0.48--0.60) in 2011. The surgical rate was highest in women aged 45--64 years. Geographical analysis showed significant variation across strategic health authority areas in surgical rates, from 0.22 (0.14–0.35) to 1.04 (0.79–1.34) people per 100,000 population per year in 2007–2011.Conclusion: The incidence of orbital decompression surgery performed annually in England has increased substantially over the past two decades, but peaked in 2008 and decreased since then. Significant geographical variation exists in surgical rates. Potential reasons for the decline include improved management of thyroid disease itself, but altered threshold in medical versus surgical management of TAO may also have played a role. The Amsterdam Declaration and EUGOGO treatment guidelines may also have influenced decisions about whether to operate on these patients.

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy

Little is written in the plastic surgery literature about thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), a condition that is separate from Graves-Basedow disease and may not be accompanied by hyperthyroidism. Many patients with this disease frequently seek periocular aesthetic reconstruction prior to medical workup. This study presents a comprehensive review of the literature surrounding TAO in order to better understand the prevalence, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and appropriate management of TAO. TAO is frequently under- or misdiagnosed by health-care providers. Patients seeking blepharoplasty or other oculoplastic procedures may have underlying TAO, and the prevalence of TAO in patients who have had a blepharoplasty is approximately 3%. This condition occurs five times more often in women than in men. As a product of the relatively high prevalence of this disease and its underdiagnosis, TAO patients may experience perioperative and late complications due to surgery. Blepharoplasties performed on TAO patients must be undertaken with care and insight to avoid cosmetic and functional complications.

Recent insights into the pathogenesis and management of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy

To identify and critique the most recent experimental findings regarding the pathogenesis and therapy of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. Much of the recent work in this field has focused on identifying genetic alterations associated with the phenotypes of Graves' disease and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy and investigating their functional consequences. Identified candidate genes include CD40, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4, protein tyrosine phosphatase-22, human leukocyte antigen-major histocompatibility complex and those associated with the X-chromosome. Efforts to generate a complete rodent model of Graves' disease continue with little progress. These uniformly involve the immunization of animals with the thyrotropin receptor. Studies conducted in vitro have focused on the actions of cytokines in orbital fibroblasts, the potential role of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and activating antibodies directed against it as a fibroblast and T cell activation pathway. Reports continue to appear examining the potential relationship between the thyrotropin receptor and orbital adipogenesis. Regarding therapy for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, small molecules and antibodies disrupting cytokine pathways and lymphocyte function are currently under examination and have yielded promising albeit preliminary results. Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy remains a vexing medical problem, the pathogenesis of which remains uncertain. A number of obstacles continue to plague major advances, not least of which is the absence of a robust animal model. A few new insights seem to represent departure from traditional thinking about this disease and may herald important innovation.