Microbiome in orbital fat of thyroid associated ophthalmopathy

Thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is manifested as orbital adipose hyperplasia, leading to high intraocular pressure, severe pain, and blindness. Yet the etiopathogenesis of TAO remains elusive. Bacterial translocation into fat has been reported to induce adipose hyperplasia, therefore we aim to explore whether bacteria can be detected in orbital fat under TAO and determine whether there were correlations between specific bacteria and TAO manifestations.