The Effect of Intravenous Glucocorticoids on the Tearfilm in Eyes With Thyroid-associated Ophthalmopathy

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), also called Graves' ophthalmopathy or thyroid eye disease, is a common orbital disease in adults. Patients with TAO, especially in its active phase, often complain about symptoms of ocular surface discomfort, including excess tearing, gritty sensation, increased sensitivity to light and foreign-body sensation, which are similar to inflammatory ocular surface disorders such as dry-eye syndrome (DES). Incomplete blink, increased proptosis and greater palpebral fissure width in TAO accelerates tear evaporation, which increases the tear fluid's osmolarity, and results in ocular surface damage. The administration of intravenous glucocorticoids can be an effective treatment for TAO. The rationale of the present study is to assess the effect of intravenously administered glucocorticoids on the signs of DES in patients with TAO with new methods such as measurement of tear film thickness, tear film osmolarity and scattering of the tear film and well established methods for assessment of the severity of DES. Additionally, impression cytology and determination of tear cytokines/chemokines will be performed to obtain information about inflammatory processes on the ocular surface.