Thyroid Associated Orbitopathy Following Periocular Surgery

PURPOSE: To descirbe a series of patients in which Thyroid Associated Orbitopathy (TAO) occurred after periocular surgery. METHODS: A retrospective case review of patients who developed TAO in close temporal association with periocular surgical interventions and presented at the orbital clinic from 1997 to 2004. History of previous thyroid abnormality and the lack of TAO signs and symptoms before surgery were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: Nine patients that developed TAO in association with periocular surgery were identified. All were women with an average age of 59.3years. (range: 45-75 years). The patients divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of four patients who had previously been diagnosed with Graves' hyperthyroidism (GH). They ranged in age from 48 to 75 years (average: 58.8 years). The diagnosis of GH had been made an average of 50.5 months (range: 12-96 months) before presentation with TAO. Group 2 consisted of five patients who had no previous history of thyroid abnormality. They ranged in age from 45 to 74 years (average: 60.2 years). No patients had any signs or symptoms of TAO before their recent presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Periocular surgery may lead to local inflammatory events that may contribute to the instigation of TAO in predisposed individuals.