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Long-term outcomes of unilateral orbital fat decompression for thyroid eye disease

  • Oculoplastics and Orbit
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Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes after unilateral orbital fat decompression in patients with thyroid eye disease.

Design

Retrospective, comparative, cross-sectional study

Participants

Thirty-three orbits of 33 patients were included in this study. Of the 33 patients, 13 underwent fat decompression (group A), and the other 20 had bony decompression (group B).

Methods

The medical records of patients who underwent orbital decompression to reduce proptosis for thyroid eye disease were retrospectively reviewed. The degrees of proptosis were measured by Hertel exophthalmometry preoperatively and over a follow-up period of more than 3 years. We evaluated the change in proptosis after surgery.

Main outcome measures

Postoperative change in exophthalmos.

Results

A recurrence in proptosis from fat decompression was seen in ten patients (76.9 %) in group A and in only two patients (10 %) in group B. The amount of regression due to surgery after 3 years was 2.3 ± 1.4 mm and 0.7 ± 0.9 mm in groups A and B respectively. The tendency of regression was more prominent in group A than in group B.

Conclusion

The long-term effect of unilateral orbital fat decompression for the reduction of proptosis in patients with thyroid eye disease may be weak, leading to regression. Care should be taken when determining the extent of fat decompression with consideration for this tendency.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

No abstract exceptions.

No prior or repeated publication attempts.

We were unable to find prior literature reports on this subject.

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Correspondence to Tae Soo Lee.

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Chang, M., Baek, S. & Lee, T.S. Long-term outcomes of unilateral orbital fat decompression for thyroid eye disease. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 251, 935–939 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-012-2195-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-012-2195-1

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