Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Graves’ disease (GD) is an autoimmune thyroiditis frequently associated with development of Graves’ orbitopathy (GO). As a consequence, patients with GO experience impairment of quality of life (QoL) and social function. The aim of our study was to assess quality of life in patients with GO.

Methods: This is a single-center observational study in an outpatient clinic of autoimmune endocrinopathies at a Tertiary, General, University Hospital. Patients with GO and increased levels of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI > 1.75 IU/l) were included in the study. Clinical activity score (CAS score) was evaluated by a single ophthalmologist. The patients were asked to complete a QoL questionnaire at their first visit in the outpatient clinic, before initiation of any treatment. Laboratory tests for TSH, T3, FT4, TSI, TgAbs, TPOAbs, blood count, liver enzymes and thyroid sonography were performed to all patients.

Results: A total of 17 patients were analyzed, of whom females were 82.4% (14/17). The mean age of the patients was 52.3 ± 11.6 years, median TSI levels were 8.36 IU/l, mean CAS score was 3.12 ± 1.22. Diplopia appeared in 41.2% of the patients (7/17). 23.5% (4/17) of the patients had undergone total thyroidectomy, 11.8% (2/17) had thyroid cancer, and 47.1% (8/17) had other autoimmunities. QoL was not significantly associated with gender, age, diplopia, TSI levels, thyroidectomy, and thyroid cancer (P = NS), but there was a trend with the presence of other autoimmunities (P = 0.07). QoL was significantly associated only with CAS score (Pearson correlation was –0.59, P = 0.013).

Conclusion: This study showed that the quality of life in patients with Graves’ orbitopathy depends on their symptoms severity as expressed with clinical activity score.