Assessing the quality of life in Indian Graves' orbitopathy patients and validation of Hindi version of GO-QOL questionnaire

PURPOSE: To validate the GO-specific quality of life (QOL) questionnaire in Hindi language and to determine the correlation of scores (visual functioning and appearance) with disease severity and activity. METHODS: We recruited 114 consecutive patients with GO attending Endocrinology Clinic at tertiary care center. Eye examination was performed, and QOL was assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: The questionnaire was validated by 50 GO patients and test-retest reliability was performed in 15 patients. Hindi version GO-QOL was administered in 49 GO patients. GO was mild in 51.0% and sight-threatening in only 2.0% of cases. Orbitopathy was clinically active in only 10 (20.4%) cases. The GO-QOL scores (median) for visual function and appearance were 81.3 and 62.5, respectively. Patients with moderate-to-severe and sight-threatening GO had significantly lower median appearance scores (56.3 vs. 68.5, P = 0.01) compared to mild disease but no difference in visual scores. Patients with active disease had significant lower median visual function (53.1 vs. 85.7, P = 0.009) and psychosocial (appearance) scores (40.6 vs. 68.8, P = 0.03) compared to inactive disease. On multivariate regression analysis of GO-QOL scores, extraocular eye movement involvement (EOM), proptosis, and severity of eye disease were significantly associated with visual functioning while appearance was significantly associated only with the severity of eye disease. CONCLUSION: GO-QOL scores were significantly reduced in patients with GO.