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Natural course of mild Graves’ orbitopathy: is it a chronic remitting or a transient disease?

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Abstract

Background/Aims

The natural course of Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) has been poorly documented. The aim of this review is to provide current knowledge regarding the natural course of mild GO, trying to address the issue of whether and to what extent it constitutes a chronic remitting or transient disease.

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed for English language publications until August 2016 under the following terms: “Graves’ orbitopathy” OR “Graves’ ophthalmopathy” OR “thyroid eye disease” AND “natural course” OR “natural history”.

Results

Few studies have investigated the course of mild orbital disease in patients with GO. Large controlled trials are lacking and data can be extracted mainly from small retrospective and some prospective studies, after excluding patients who had received radioiodine for thyrotoxicosis or surgical treatment for GO. In general, more than half of GO patients may show spontaneous improvement in their clinical features, whereas no safe conclusions can be drawn with regard to complete resolution, with percentages ranging from 6 to 58 %.

Conclusions

The question whether mild GO is a remitting, albeit chronic disease, or even a transient event in the course of Graves’ disease, remains currently unanswered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Hippokration Hospital of Thessaloniki, Sarantaporou 10, 54640, Thessaloníki, Greece

    P. Anagnostis, F. Adamidou & M. Kita

  2. 1st University Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloníki, Greece

    K. Boboridis

Authors
  1. P. Anagnostis
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  2. K. Boboridis
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  3. F. Adamidou
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  4. M. Kita
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Anagnostis.

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The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

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This paper is not a research involving Human Participants and/or Animals.

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Informed consent is not applicable, since the paper constitutes a short review.

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Anagnostis, P., Boboridis, K., Adamidou, F. et al. Natural course of mild Graves’ orbitopathy: is it a chronic remitting or a transient disease?. J Endocrinol Invest 40, 257–261 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-016-0555-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-016-0555-0

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