Ophthalmic Manifestations of Thyroid Orbitopathies

OBJECTIVES: To describe age and sex specific rates of ocular/orbital involvement in thyrotoxic patients, to determine the rates of all components of NOSPECS classification system in patients with thyroid orbitopathies and to determine the relative magnitude of low and high index orbitopathies. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 100 thyrotoxic patients of all age groups and both sexes were examined at the Department of Ophthalmology, JPMC, Karachi. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was1:2.5. Age range was12-80years. Mean age was 36.59+13.81. The difference in age according to sex was found statistically non significant (P=0.60). Seventyfour percent patients had some sort of orbitopathy. Lid sign happened to be the most persistent sign of the orbitopathies (74%). The rates of the components of the NOSPECS classification system were N=26%, O=56%, P=16%, E=11%, C=13%, S=7% respectively. Patients with low index thyroid orbitopathy were 83% and 17% patients were with high index orbitopathy. High index orbitopathy was found to be more common in the males with age above 40 years. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of thyroid orbitopathy appears to be independent of age and sex. Low index orbitopathies are more common than high index orbitopathies. Males are more at risk of developing high index orbitopathy than females.